Barossa wine at its best

By MiNDFOOD

Barossa wine at its best

Generations of winemaking has gone into producing yet another fabulous Grant Burge Wines vintage – the Filsell Shiraz 2016. Chief winemaker Craig Stansborough takes us on a journey through the Barossa Valley as he shares his passion for producing a quality vintage.

A region steeped in soil as rich as its history, the Barossa Valley produces some of Australia’s finest wine. With almost two centuries of sustained grape-growing and winemaking, there is plenty of respect, knowledge and passion for the produce. Its wines have the ability to age gracefully, making them approachable and easy-to-drink – very much a taste of the beauty and sociability of Barossa.

Chief winemaker at Grant Burge Wines, Craig Stansborough, says that it is in this tradition that so many premium wines are produced in the South Australian Valley. “We have great diversity within our region, from the Barossa Valley floor to the cooler elevated Eden Valley. This gives us the opportunity to blend and add so many layers and textures in our wines,” he says.

A labour of love

Starting his winemaking career in the cellars of the historic Seppeltsfield winery, surrounded by wines over 100 years old, Stansborough has since gone on to produce 25 years of wine with Grant Burge Wines. He says that his passion for wine is as strong as it was back then. “Like a lucky dip for adults”, he is still excited by each new bottle of wine he opens.

As with most fine wines, Stansborough’s winemaking philosophy has evolved with knowledge and maturity, and this is reflected in his latest vintage, the 2016 Filsell Shiraz. Grant Burge first released its Filsell Shiraz in 1988, and 2016 has gone on to bottle another high-quality Barossa vintage. “We had the right conditions at the right time, enough rainfall to get the vines happy, and mild temperatures over the harvest period which allowed for slow and consistent ripening,” says Stansborough.

The 2016 vintage displays aromas of liquorice, plum, raspberry, dark chocolate and vanilla, whilst the full-bodied palate offers rich and dense flavours of plum, dark chocolate and spice. If paired with a meal of rich flavours – think bold beef dishes such as a tenderloin or slow-cooked beef cheeks – a bottle of Filsell Shiraz 2016 is the perfect accompaniment to a romantic dinner this winter. grantburgewines.com.au

Craig Stansborough sampling the Grant Burge Filsell Shiraz 2016. PHOTO CREDIT Dominic Loneragan.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE

Print Recipe

BECOME A MiNDFOOD SUBSCRIBER TODAY

Let us keep you up to date with our weekly MiNDFOOD e-newsletters which include the weekly menu plan, health and news updates or tempt your taste buds with the MiNDFOOD Daily Recipe. 

Member Login