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James Halliday - Various Reviews

James Halliday Wine Companion www.winecompanion.com.au/articles & The Australian - Weekend Australia 7-8 June - James Halliday An extra drop/ the holy grail of diversity June 7, FROM THE REGION BAROSSA VALLEY SHIRAZ 2008 Goose Yard Block 2006 Barossa Valley Shiraz 96 points.

FROM THE REGION: Barossa Valley shiraz IN deference to the Shiraz Alliance and to the Barossa's dominance of it, these are the wines from the Barossa that scored 96 points in the upcoming Wine Companion, arranged in alphabetical order: 2005 Gibson Barossavale Australian Old Vine Collection; 2006 Glaetzer Amon Ra; 2002 Grant Burge Meshach; 2006 Groom; 2005 John Duval Eligo; 2006 John Duval Entity; 2005 Peter Lehmann The 1885; 2005 Rolf Binder Veritas Hanisch; 2006 Schubert Estate Gooseyard Block; 2006 St Hallett Blackwell; 2005 Torbreck The Factor; 2004 Torbreck RunRig; 2004 Trevor Jones Reserve Wild Witch; and 2006 Turkey Flat. Source: Weekend Australian 7 June James Halliday

 

WINERY RATING in James Halliday Wine Companion 2009
Rated 5 Glasses: 98 -100 point. Outstanding. Wines of the highest quality, usually with a distinguished pedigree.
Schubert Estate Goose-yard Block Barossa Valley Shiraz 2006  
Deep red, some crimson; medium- to full-bodied, and particularly intense; perfectly ripened fruit gives blackberry and bitter chocolate flavours without a scintilla of overripe/dead fruit characters; great length. Cork 14.5° alc. RATING 96 DRINK 2021 DATE TASTED Mar 08



5 star wineThe Gander Reserve Barossa Valley Shiraz 2004
A single French barrel was used, and has added significantly to the flavour tapestry of the wine and its texture, all in the black fruits range. The hand-inserted, stained and deformed cork is little short of a travesty for such a lovely wine. 14.5° alc. RATING 95 DRINK 2012 DATE TASTED Mar 08



The Gosling Barossa Valley Shiraz 2006
Because the fruit is less dense than Goose-yard, the excellent texture and structure is more evident in a wine with quality blackberry fruit, weight and length. Screwcap 14.5° alc. RATING 92 DRINK 2016 DATE TASTED Mar 08

The Lone Goose Barossa Valley Shiraz 2006
The 3% viognier (which can't be shown on the front label) certainly adds to the expression of the vibrant red fruits; light- to medium-bodied, and won't fade away, but at its best over the next year or so. Screwcap 14.5° alc. RATING 90 DRINK 2010 DATE TASTED Mar 08

James Halliday Wine Companion 2008
Goose Yard Block 2005 Barossa Valley Shiraz. Strong red-purple; a ripe cascade of blackberry; prune and plum, positive tannins cutting back what might be otherwise have been simple fruit; a long finish; needs time. High-quality cork. Rating 94 Drink To 2025. Rated 5 Glasses: 94 -100 point. Outstanding. Wines of the highest quality, usually with a distinguished pedigree.

The Gosling 2005 Barossa Valley Shiraz. Plenty of power and concentration; lively and focused, with touches of licorice and spice; good fruit and oak balance. Screwcap Rating 92 Drink To 2020. Rated 4 & half Glasses: Highly Recommended . Wines of the highest quality, style and character, worthy of a place in any cellar.

The Lone Goose 2005 Barossa Valley Shiraz Exotic aromas and flavours, more to dark plum/blackberry/Christmas cake and only ultimately spice, but has very good length. Great value. 89 points, drink to 2010, $15, Screwcap. Wine Companion Newsletter June 2008.

James Halliday Wine Companion 2007
Goose Yard Block 2004 Rating 95 Saturated, dense red-purple; a rich tapestry of textures and flavours; plum, blackberry and spice, with ripe tannins. Rating 95 Drink To 2019 .

James Halliday Wine Companion 2006 Page 517 - 518
Schubert Estate

Rated 5 Glasses: 94 -100 point. Outstanding. Wines of the highest quality, usually with a distinguished pedigree. (page 52)

Goose Yard Block Shiraz 2003 Deep colour; dense, deep blackberry and plum fruit, ripe but not overly so; good extract and tannins: subtle oak. Good cork. extractive. RATING 94 DRINK 2018

Summary - Steve and Cecilia Schubert are primarily grapegrowers, with 14 hectares of shiraz and a little over 1 hectare of semillon, and almost all the production is sold to Torbreck Vintners. They purchased the 25-hectare property from a relative in 1986, when it was in such a derelict state that there was no point in trying to save the old vines. Moreover, both were working in other areas, and it was some years before they began replanting at a little under 2 hectares per year. In 2000 they decided to keep enough grapes to make a barrique of wine for their own (and friends) consumption, and were sufficiently encouraged by the outcome to obtain the necessary licence and venture into the dizzy heights of two hogsheads a year. The wine is made on-site, with wild yeast, open fermentation, basket pressing and bottling without filtration. The 2002 wine is utterly exceptional; the challenge will be to keep the quality in the years ahead.
Goose Yard Block Shiraz 2002 Impenetrable colour; extraordinarily concentrated black fruits, dark chocolate, mocha and spice; almost viscous in texture, yet not extractive. Only 14 degrees alcohol. RATING 96 DRINK 2027

Schubert Estate Goose-yard Block 2002 - A wine elevated to the heroic scale of 96 points and recognised to have exceptional quality... Rated 5 Glasses: 98 -100 point. Outstanding. Wines of the highest quality, usually with a distinguished pedigree.

Modest Schubert divertissement by James Halliday
In 1986, when Steve and Cecilia Schubert purchased their 26ha property at Roennfeldt Road, Marananga, in South Australia's Barossa Valley, they inherited the remains of an old vineyard. It had been owned by a relative who had effectively given up the struggle. For this was the time of the vine pull scheme and surplus production.

Although the idea of replanting was in their minds, it was not a priority partly because both Steven and Cecilia had other jobs. But in due course they removed the old vines, which could not be rehabilitated, and prepared the first 2.3ha for planting in the spring of 1994.

The impetus for planting came from Dave Powell of Torbreck, who was certain the soil and situation of the vineyard would produce grapes of high quality, putting his money where his mouth was by agreeing to buy the entire production once the vines came on-stream.

The Schuberts had planned a holiday to Bali, recognizing that once the vines went in, there would be little opportunity for such luxuries during the following years. "We were walking out the door," recalls Steve Schubert, "when the rootlings arrived early. We were stunned and dismayed, and rang up Dave Powell to tell him we wouldn't be going to Bali after all."
"Dave wouldn't hear of it. He insisted that we go, saying he and his wife, Christine, would plant the vines for us."

Anyone who has planted vines by hand will understand the Schuberts' gratitude and know that for as long as Torbreck wants to take the grapes, big-dollar offers from others will be ignored.

A roughly similar amount was planted during each year of the following five years; there are now 14ha of shiraz and a little more than 1ha of semillon.

But, like so many before them (and doubtless many after), the urge to make a little wine for themselves became irresistible, and with Powell's full knowledge they proceeded to do just that. Steve Schubert's retirement meant he had time to look after a little bit more wine than he and Cecilia could consume, so in 2000 they obtained a producer's licence and made their first hogshead of shiraz under the Schubert Estate label.

"I found out it's not so hard to make red wine," says Steve Schubert, and doubtless he has spent many hours watching Powell at work at Torbreck. The Schuberts acquired a little crusher, a small basket press and a 1 tonne open fermenter; with a couple of hogsheads, the space required was little more than the average suburban garage, and so their on-site winery came to life.

The one hogshead in 2000 became two in 2001-02; it was the 2002 Schubert Estate Goose-yard Block Shiraz (96 points) sent as a sample, along with a new winery form for my 2005 Wine Companion, that led me down the path of discovery. The wine's colour is virtually impenetrable; it is flooded with extraordinarily concentrated black fruits, dark chocolate, mocha and spice; and it is almost viscous in texture, yet in no way extractive.

By today's standards, the alcohol of 14 percent is relatively modest and part of the reason for the wine's exceptional quality. I believe the wines made by Bryan Dolan at Saltram in the second half of the 1940s, which some of us were privileged to taste several years ago, must have started life looking much as this wine.

Reproduced with kind permission by The Weekend Australian Travel & Indulgence, April 24-25, 2004 and James Halliday.

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