New Release Barossa: Welland and More

Barry Weinman: 9th July 2023

It is no secret that the Barossa Valley makes brilliant shiraz, and, in this tasting, several wines shone for their quality and relative value.

But the highlight of the tasting was the sheer quality of the Barossa cabernets from Welland. Wines that, whilst stylistically different to Margaret River, remained classically cabernet. Elegant and poised, but with a touch more generosity to the fruit than the average cool-climate wine.

The 2021 Welland Old Hands Cabernet was the star of the tasting. At $70 ex-winery, it is also very good value for a premium wine.

Reviewed.

Welland – Old Hands – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2021. This is taut and structured, but there is a lovely core of ripe fruit which floods a palate that is long, supple and delicious. With air, the blueberry fruit and spice notes meld seamlessly with the texturing oak and tannins. A superb wine with excellent concentration and a degree of gravitas which elevates it above the ordinary. 95+pts – $70.

Welland – Valley & Valley – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2022. Whilst this has fine fruit that is both intense and concentrated, it is made in a style which is very approachable at this early stage. With air, pretty blueberry/mulberry fruit floods the palate, with decent length and persistence on the finish rounding out an excellent wine. Not as serious as the Old Hands, making for a pretty and enjoyable wine. 93pts.

Welland – Valley & Valley – Shiraz – 2022 . The fruit here is a little more vibrant and forward, with the juicy berry characters the main focus. The palate is flooded with fleshy fruit, with enough acid and tannins to keep things fresh and balanced, but not so much as to impede the fruit in any way. An excellent drink now – 5 years. 93pts.