One of the things I’ve always enjoyed about Yelland & Papps wines is their lack of pretention; these are wines made for drinking, at all levels of the range. On the downside, they have sometimes shown a lack of intensity and impact that, for me, has held them back from being fully satisfying. This wine, and the accompanying Grenache, seem just a bit more structured and flavoursome than some of their predecessors; for me, they are are some of the best wines I’ve tasted from this producer.

All the benefits of a luscious, easy drinking Barossa red are here. The aroma is expressive and dark, showing a mix of plum and fruit cake plus a dash of enthusiastic oak. It’s not yet entirely integrated, nor would I expect it to be, but the flavours are classic and coherent. I like that the fruit appears to be ripe but not overly so; in fact, it seems particularly well judged in this regard. It’s not going to convert anyone to the style but will be very pleasing to fans of this region’s Shiraz.

The palate shows fresh acid and a thickness of flavour appropriate to the style. As with the nose, the flavours are ripe and full without tipping over into porty, overripe territory. The middle palate is especially attractive, its abundant fruit flowing easily over the tongue, given just enough shape by the wine’s structure. The after palate shows some young oak that should calm with time. You could probably age this for a while, but I can’t see why one would bother beyond a couple of years. It tastes so good now.

Spot on.

Yelland & Papps
Price: $A32
Closure: Stelvin
Source: Sample