Tasting Report: 2015 Barossa Vintage Preview

I’ve been fortunate to attend the Barons of the Barossa annual post-vintage tasting for a few years and, whilst I’ve tasted some great vintages in this embryonic stage, I cannot remember a year that was as good across the board as 2015.

This annual, informal tasting invites winemakers to bring anything they like from the recent harvest, and it’s primarily a chance for them to see what each other has captured as well as to exchange experiences and generally debrief.

2015 was an early harvest and a year without any intensive sustained heat periods, which is a rarity in the Barossa. The wines have good acidities, the tannins in reds are keenly articulated, and the sense of purity is strong across the board.

The big early story is riesling, and there is no doubt that the 2015 rieslings from the elevated Eden Valley are very strong, with many of the wines presented already bottled and on the market.

Make room in the cellar for the 2015 Barossa reds too. Grenache, mataro (mourvèdre), tempranillo, shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and beyond are all assertively flavored with admirable structure and balance.

The 60-odd notes below represent a diverse bunch of wines and winemakers, giving a good cross-section of the character and quality of the 2015 Barossa vintage. Many whites are already bottled and are indicated with a final, finished score.

Other wines that are unbottled and/or unfinished that represent finished blends or single-vineyard wines have been given a score range in keeping with JamesSuckling.com protocols.

Contributing Editor Nick Stock is a renowned Australian wine writer, author, presenter and filmmaker who reports on his worldwide wine tasting experiences for JamesSuckling.com.