A new release of single vineyard Barossa reds from Karrawirra – big and bold and long lasting. It is an event at Glug we look forward to. For Karrawirra is Glug’s flagship Barossa Valley brand.
I have been fortunate in recent times to drink the first release of Karrawirra the 1969 (80% Shiraz) and the 1973 and a pleasure they were. The winemaker Ken Kiese made these early vintages at the Keelyn Winery of the Kies family
Benjamin Parker revived the brand after settling in the Barossa in 2004 with the first being a Shiraz and Cabernet from 2008.
Our current releases are a Shiraz, Durif, Shiraz Cabernet and Cabernet Sauvignon from 2018 and Durif from 2019.
This week Benjamin officially released two single vineyard wines, the Karrawirra Single Vineyard ‘Fan Block’ Barossa Valley Shiraz 2018 and Karrawirra Single Vineyard ‘Biscay’ Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018. Single vineyard wines are not made every vintage. They appear only when they are the ultimate expression of the flavours of the Barossa Valley.
Karrawirra Single Vineyard ‘Fan Block’ Barossa Valley Shiraz 2018 $26 per bottle. Barossa shiraz at its best.
Karrawirra Single Vineyard ‘Biscay’ Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 $26 per bottle. We have been sourcing fruit from this vineyard for many vintages and a small parcel from 2018 had the special character to be worthy of the single vineyard status. While there are Cabernet vines in the Barossa Valley that date to 1892, Barossa Cabernet is still the most under-rated wine in Australia. This release will elevate the status of Barossa Cabernet.
The Karrawirra Style
While we applaud makers of wines that are described as showing delicacy and finesse the Karrawirra style is the direct opposite. With Karrawirra we want you to be able to inhale the aroma as it is being poured and know from the colour that a big mouthful awaits.
There are no ifs and buts with Karrawirra wine. They are our version of a big, no holds barred Barossan
A Little History
In 1847 20 families from Posen, Prussia settled in the southern Barossa Valley on the bed of a dry lake. They called their village Hoffnungsthal, or Valley of Hope. Extensive flooding saw the village abandoned in October 1853 but the Hope Valley name lingered on for a while.
The Nomenclature Act of 1917 changed this location to Karrawirra. In 1969 the Kies family released the first red under a Karrawirra label. The Glug wines of today reproduce this original design.
Barossa reds from Karrawirra – What’s in a Name
