Giving the Gift of a Bright Brilliant Barossa

As we come close to the end of the year, thoughts start to turn to long summer evenings, good times with friends, and maybe even a gift or two. I don’t want to get into talks of Christmas this soon, so instead let’s admire what Yalumba has been up to recently.

If you’re a regular to the mag, you may already be aware of Yalumba Samuel’s Collection, but for those new to the party, I have to give you a quick introduction. Named after the founder of Yalumba, the collection is a celebration and whirlwind tour of seven iconic Barossa and Eden Valley varieties that make up the tastes and profiles of Yalumba’s premium wine. The collection celebrates Yalumba’s history as Australia’s oldest family-owned winery. It shines a bright light on a Barossa of a different kind with a contemporary winemaking style.

Yalumba’s Head of Winemaking Louisa Rose comments on the wine style, “With a focus on sustainable winemaking and viticulture, we are able to take a ‘less is more’ approach with this collection.”

“We prioritise the health and prosperity of our vineyard ecosystems so that we can minimise winemaking intervention,” says Rose.

What this translates to is less time processing, and more time spent letting the wine speak for itself. That means gentle handling, wild fermentation, less time on skins, less oak and less fining leaves all the freshness and natural balance from the vineyard in the wine. It’s like tasting the valley itself, bright and approachable, suitable for everybody.

To celebrate this return to nature, Yalumba found a little bit more homegrown goodness to add into the mix, that is with Australian artist, Tamami Davidson. Davidson’s work is light and textural, bringing a tender touch of emotion to the canvas without ever straying into explicit iconography. Davidson paints moods, not pictures. For Yalumba, she was commissioned to do two bespoke pieces that capture the valley through an abstract and earthy lense. The end result are pieces that ask the viewer to “take a moment” and engage.

“We invite our wine drinkers to do the same with our wines – to take a moment to enjoy and be captivated by this contemporary expression of Barossa,” says Rose.

And so do we.

Yalumba Samuel’s Collection can be found in fine wine retailers or online at yalumba.com for RRP $28.