Yalumba The Octavius 2018 (750ML)

99 VJ / 97 JA / 96 WA / 95 DE / 95 VM

Medium deep crimson. Magnificent pure blackberry blackberrydark chocolatearomas with vanilla roasted chestnut notes. Beautifully concentrated and inky deep with beautifulpure dark berry fruits fine slinky animated tannins and perfectly integrated new mocha, vanillaoak. Finishes classically firm with superb mineral length. Very seductive and impressive with abeautiful scent of place. Wonderful fruit definition, purity and precision with the density andtorque for long term aging. Almost perfect symmetry.  - Andrew Caillard MW, The Vintage Journal

Waves of charred sandalwood, white pepper, sage, liqourice root, juicy black fruits and balanced acidities giving plenty of freshness and a slow burn finish. You can already see just how slowly this wine ages, as even at 5 years old it is still very much in its primary phase, with muscular tannins that are confidently keeping everything in line. The fruit sourcing also reflects the drive towards fresher expression in what was a warm vintage, with 69% Eden Valley and 31% Barossa. Expertly navigated, picked a little earlier than many in the region. First vintage on the Place for this wonderful Shiraz. Ageing in 25% Yalumba coopered American octaves, 25% new French hogsheads, 6% Hungarian hogsheads. Winemaker Kevin Glastonbury, harvest February 15 to April 10. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

The 2018 The Octavius Old Vine Shiraz comes 69% from the Eden Valley and 31% from the Barossa Valley, with the vines more than 100 years old on average. Deep garnet-purple in color, it bursts from the glass with exuberant notes of black cherries, warm plums, and fruitcake with hints of licorice, lilacs, peppered salami, and tar. The full-bodied palate offers fantastic freshness and vibrancy, with a racy backbone and velvety tannins, finishing very long and very spicy. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

For so long a power-packed statement that celebrates the muscle of 100-year-old Barossa Shiraz, Octavius has dialled down the aggression in a vintage that provided fine tannins to support a more supple texture. It allows its big body to glide. With 69% of the fruit sourced from higher, cooler Eden Valley sites, there are bright blueberries among the Barossa Valley's blackberry grunt, rolling around a plush, velvety mid-palate. While oak is always a feature of this wine – after all, it’s named after eight-stave French oak barrels in which it matures (with other vessels) for 21 months – winemaker Kevin Glastonbury has calmed the meld so that a soft lick of vanilla adds finesse to a lush bed of luscious purple fruits with a hint of tobacco chew. - David Sly, Decanter 

This 2018 Shiraz The Octavius, made from 67% Barossa Valley and 33% Eden Valley fruit, is a powerhouse and bold edition of Octavius thanks to its lashings of black cherry, blackberry, and new leather with subtle touches of pepper and sage. Bold yet manicured, it displays punchy sweet-fruited flavors with some savory meat stocks in the background, which will build in time. Firm tannins are nicely balanced over a long but closed finish suggesting this wine will be best enjoyed after at least a decade’s rest. Yalumba, one of Barossa’s original winemakers with a history stretching back to 1849, remains a regional leader on a number of levels and an international flag bearer for Barossa. Yet, the company makes wines across South Australia. While always offering a broad range of wines under the custodianship of Robert Hill-Smith, recent years have seen increasing focus at the top end of the quality spectrum. With their home at Angaston in the Eden Valley, Yalumba, more than any other winery, promotes the more savory and elegant side of Barossa. Their leading wines are benchmarks, particularly the uniquely Australian blends of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, with their Viognier efforts, particularly the oak-fermented and matured Virgilius also worthy of note. - Angus Hughson, Vinous Media