The historic Seppeltsfield winery, in the heart of the Barossa Valley, is a symbol of ambition through the ages. The 1888 gravity flow cellar, distillery, maturation sheds and ironstone buildings (including EC/East Cellars) reflect the newest technologies and applied winery practices of the day. Under the ownership of Warren Randall, Seppeltsfield is going through a remarkable renaissance. Although the brand’s reputation hangs on its 100-Year-Old Para Liqueur Vintage Tawny and wonderful fortified wines, its future is indelibly linked to table wine production. For years Seppeltsfield has been juggling its priorities to underwrite the development of its ‘luxury’ red wine portfolio, and with success. The distinct blue and black branded livery, harking back to earlier times, foreshadows an authentic experience steeped in retro modern techniques and exceptional barrel maturation philosophies. At the helm is Fiona Donald, a veteran winemaker previously at Hardy’s and Penfolds. With her background and longstanding role at Seppeltsfield, she knows exactly what is required to make age worthy red wines and this release highlights this point. I kept the bottles and tasted the wines again over the following week. They maintained their freshness for much longer than expected. High quality fruits sourcing, traditional techniques, handed down through the generations, and precision winemaking are the foundation of these lovely Seppeltsfield wines.
The quirky and medium-term drinking 2022 No EC3 Touriga, Tinta Cao, Tinta Amarela (93), all Portuguese grape varieties, is a genuinely alternative style but possessing the generosity and amplitude that epitomises Seppeltsfield’s contemporary brand of winemaking. The classically structured 2021 No EC4 Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz (94+), sourced from the incongruously named (but famous) God’s Hill and (and less known) Chooks Block vineyards in the region’s south, highlight the synergy of the varieties very well. With age, the wine will loosen up with the elements folding into each other. An extra year of bottle age will improve the experience into top-notch territory. Seppeltsfield’s investment in building a narrative around the Barossa’s sub regions yields plenty of dividends.
2021 The Southing Single Vineyard Shiraz (96) is my favourite of the three because it offers an extra sheen, ample flavour, beautiful integration and sinuous flow. 2021 Westing Single Vineyard Shiraz (95) highlights the Barossa aesthetic with great flair. 2021 Northing Single Vineyard Shiraz (94) is the most elemental and will benefit from a touch more bottle age. Although modern winemaking is all about the now as much as the future, these three sub-regional shirazes will benefit from a touch more bottle age. As much as it is lovely to taste one hundred-year-old Para Liqueur Vintage Tawny (and to be nostalgic about the past), the promise at Seppeltsfield is so much greater with its red wines. The brand’s remarkable history, access to high quality fruit, imaginative winemaking team and consistently well-crafted wine styles are a recipe for long term success.
The historic Seppeltsfield winery, in the heart of the Barossa Valley, is a symbol of ambition through the ages.
2022 Seppeltsfield No EC3 Touriga, Tinta Cao, Tinta Amarela, Barossa Valley South Australia
Medium deep crimson. Beautiful fragrant pure black cherry, dark plum aromas with hints of stone fruits, camomile and aniseed. Generously flavoured with ample dark berry fruits, a touch of dark chocolate, fine grainy firm tannins and underlying savoury notes. Crisp and chocolaty at the finish. Familiar yet different. Delicious to drink. Drink now-2028 14% alc 93 points
2021 Seppeltsfield No EC4 Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz, Barossa South Australia
Deep crimson. Intense blackcurrant pastille, dark chocolate mocha aromas with roasted chestnut notes. Inky deep claret style wine with attractive blackcurrant, blackberry, praline flavours, fine grainy/ vigorous tannins and well-integrated vanilla notes. Finishes firm and tight with minerally notes. Very good concentration and flow. Should develop very well. 55% Cabernet Sauvignon 45% Shiraz. Drink 2024-2032 14.4% alc 94+ points
2021 Seppeltsfield The Northing Single Vineyard Shiraz, Barossa South Australia
Deep crimson. Intense dark chocolate, dark berry aromas with touch of black olive. Richly flavoured choco-berry flavours, slinky textures, very attractive mid-palate volume and underlying cedar oak. Finish claret firm with liquorice notes. Lovely vim, volume and vigour. From the Katingi Vineyard. 14 months in French oak hogsheads. Drink now -2030 14.7% alc 94 points
2021 Seppeltsfield The Southing Single Vineyard Shiraz, Barossa South Australia
Deep crimson. Intense and classic dark berry, praline aromas with roasted chestnut, hint marzipan notes. Supple and smith with fresh dark plum, blackberry fruits, fine persistent chocolaty/ velvety textures and integrated praline/ roasted almond notes. Finished chocolaty and long with vanilla/cedar, aniseed notes. Impressively balanced with superb generosity, freshness suppleness and length. 14 months in French oak hogsheads. From the Chooks Block, Lyndoch. Drink now – 2030 14.7% alc 96 points
2021 Seppeltsfield The Westing Single Vineyard Shiraz, Barossa South Australia
Deep crimson. Intense black cherry, black olive, cedar aromas with touch of black olive/ flinty notes. Well concentrated inky dark cherry, blackberry, mocha flavours, fine slinky textures and fresh long acidity. Finishes chalky firm with lovely chinotto bittersweet notes. From Seppeltsfield V Block. 14 months in French oak hogsheads. Delicious and classic in style. Drink 2024 – 2030 14.7% alc 95 points
