Bethany Wines of Barossa
East Grounds Shiraz 2020
East Grounds Shiraz 2020
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Picked in the early morning from the single vineyard of Homestead Across the Creek Top Block, a single beautiful elevated (280-300m) vineyard on the Schrapel property, this wine speaks clearly of its place. Lifted aromatics, pretty blue/black fruit profile and fine grained, persistent velvet tannins that create a wine of great presence and character.
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Wine Details
Picked in the early morning from the single vineyard of Homestead Across the Creek Top Block, the fruit for this wine was crushed to fermenter with a proportion of whole berries to maximise fruit expression. After a gentle fermentation on skins for 8-10 days with twice daily pumpovers the wine was pressed to first and second use French oak hogsheads for 18 month maturation prior to blending and allowing to come together for two months prior to bottling.
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Tasting Notes
Colour
Dense and dark purple robe from core to rim.
Aroma
Beautifully perfumed nose, speaks clearly of the elevated, cooler vineyard location with pretty blue fruits and purple florals over layers of dark turned stony earth.
Palate
Flowing and driven palate of fine graine tannins carrying layers of dripping blue fruits, tart blackcurrant compote and pot pourri characters. Tannin and acid intemringle to provide freshness and texture to the long and balanced palate, finish is clean, crisp and leaves an imprint of black cherry fruit.
Food Pairing
Perfect with roasted white meats, gnocchi or tomato based pasta dishes.
Notes
Our vineyard in the Barossa foothills is part of a project looking at the effect of ‘terroir’ on wine.
In 2014, Wine Innovation Cluster (WIC) winemakers made nine wines using Shiraz grapes from nine different Barossa vineyards. The wines were blind-tasted to look at the similarities and differences in flavours and textures.
This is part of the Barossa Grounds Project, which seeks to understand and communicate regional differences in the Barossa. Differences include soil, elevation and climate and how they affect the sensory profile of wine.
Our Shiraz Vineyard represents the Barossa Foothills. First vintage released in 2014 the East Grounds Shiraz is a classic wine boasting intense cherry aromas and flavours and soft, fine-grained tannins.
Viticulture
2020 was a year of significantly reduced yield in the Barossa in general and specifically at Bethany. This was partly due to a hot, dry December and early- mid-January which was similar to 2019. Careful soil moisture monitoring was beneficial in allowing Bethany to manage soil moisture in the most efficient way possible. The major impact on the reduced yield was the highly variable temperatures and weather conditions in spring 2019. The resulting crop was very small even by recent low yield standards but critically the quality was very high with good natural acidity, excellent colour and tannin structure leading to some magnificent wines.
Ageing Potential
5-15 years
Technical
Oak
50% 1 year old French hogsheads and 50% 2 year old French hogsheads
Alcohol: 14.5%
pH: 3.28
TA: 7.6g/L
Gluten free, vegan and vegetarian
Reviews & Awards
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July 2023
Wine Pilot
Ken Gargett
Another vintage of this excellent Barossa Shiraz, but only 130 dozen made this time. Deep garnet with notes of chocolate, dry herbs, earthy notes, fungals, mulberries, delicatessen meats and plums. Ripe and rich and with solid power and firm tannins. This is more burly and concentrated and very much reflects the vintage. A fine Barossa Shiraz, especially for those who enjoy the big and powerful. Has a good ten to fifteen years ahead.
95 pts
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July, 2023
Halliday Wine Companion
David Brookes
The Eastern Grounds of the Barossa Valley stretch across Bethany, Krondorf and Vine Vale, nestled at the base of the Eastern range. This particular wine comes from a single vineyard across from the Bethany homestead. Matured for 18 months in new and seasoned oak. Deep magenta with opulent blackberry, black cherry and macerated plum fruits. Hints of dark chocolate, jasmine, roasting meats, olive tapenade, licorice, graphite and earth. Plenty of concentration and depth but with the floral top-notes that come from the wines of the eastern grounds. Super-fine gypsum-like tannins and lacy acidity provide the structure and if someone seeks a classic Barossa shiraz, this ticks all the boxes. It could be from nowhere else.
95 pts
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April, 2025
Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Erin Larkin
The 2020 East Grounds Barossa Shiraz is meaty and intense, with resinous oak framing and a forest-floor darkness that dovetails perfectly into the reputation of old-school Barossa. Plenty of oak, super concentrated black fruit and loads of ferruginous tannin permeate every aspect of the palate. The eastern grounds of the Barossa encompass the Bethany, Vine Vale and Krondorf parishes, and this is where the fruit is sourced from. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
92 pts