Head Wines New Releases
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| Alex and myself drinking rose correctly. Great haircuts |
Great haircut, great wines…
That’s the Alex ‘Heady’ Head story, with his Head Wines label hitting ever higher heights, as he proudly shows that the nude-nut hairstyle is the way to go (hair is so 2010, trust me).
This year the big fella has expanded his range of Barossan goodies to finally hit into the super-premium category, with a pair of glorious old vine reds serving as a natural addition to the portfolio.
Happily, they’re as impressive as expected too, with all of the structure and savoury leanings that I’d expect from someone who is such a fan of classic Rhone reds.
Having tried some of Alex’s very first wines all those years ago, it’s rather satisfying to see just how far this project has come – from a sideline winemaking hobby into a serious stand-alone operation, complete with the sort of wines that I would want to make in the Barossa (no Mataro though. That would be high on my list).
The wines
Tasted over an hour or so in a larger lineup. Notes are as written on the day with my little extra bits in italics. Buy online at the Head Wines website
Head Wines Nouveau 2013 12.5% $17.50
Touriga, Montepulciano, Grenache. An easy drinking style but just a bit simplistic and candied for me. The only wine in this lineup that didn’t impress.
Bright purple – really very purple. Grapey hubba bubba palate with a slightly herbal edge in there – spice aplenty. Red fruit joy. Pretty easy going juice with lenty of acid, shortish length. Pleasant and unremarkable – it feels like a house wine, gummy and carbonic. Quaff, but no more. 15.5/20, 85/100
Head Wines Head Red GSM 2013 14.5% $22.50
A declassification from the Old Vine Grenache. Sourced largely from a 100yr old vineyard at Greenock.
A declassification from the Old Vine Grenache. Sourced largely from a 100yr old vineyard at Greenock.
Joyfully Grenachey, with red fruit warmth and some bitter licorice too. Has whispy tannins and a sense of blackness. Warm finish. Utterly Barossan and quite lively. Easy recommend and delicious, if just a bit boozy. Already open and ready, maybe not the length to take it much further. 16.8/20, 89/100
Head Wines Head Red Shiraz 2013 14% $22.50
A barrel cull from the Contrarian, Blonde and Brunette wines. 12 months in oak. Great value.A bit warm and licoricey, all black/red fruits. Gentle and even a bit earthen this year, looking less simple and quite substantial if barely bottled. Great late palate intensity – compact and feels like culled barrels from the big gun single vineyard wines, without quite the oak. Nice savoury finish. This is bang on the money. 17.5/20, 91/100
Head Wines Old Vine Grenache 2013 14.5% $35
Sourced from an old vineyard at Krondorf. Partial whole bunches and all seasoned oak. No fining or filtration and minimal sulphur. Love to see this again in 6 months time.
Sourced from an old vineyard at Krondorf. Partial whole bunches and all seasoned oak. No fining or filtration and minimal sulphur. Love to see this again in 6 months time.
Essence of Grenache. A little volatile to start. Lovely pretty redskin fruits and some very slippery tannins for Grenache, looking blacker as the palate progresses – hunkers down through the finish. Great length. Pretty satisfying in its Grenache openness, with some complexity too. Still coming together but a definite star for Grenache fans. Needs six months to flesh out and the nose to settle. 17.7/20, 92/100+
Head Wines Ancestor Vine Grenache 2013 14.5% $90
A brand new wine for Alex. Sourced from a 155yr old vineyard at Springton in the Eden Valley that was planted by the Seppelt family. 100% whole bunch, daily foot-treading for two weeks. One single barrel produced (50 dozen). Incredible wine, best comparable to a modern, top shelf Chateuneuf.
A brand new wine for Alex. Sourced from a 155yr old vineyard at Springton in the Eden Valley that was planted by the Seppelt family. 100% whole bunch, daily foot-treading for two weeks. One single barrel produced (50 dozen). Incredible wine, best comparable to a modern, top shelf Chateuneuf.
Woah. Red licorice and quite high toned for a Grenache with wafts of heady volatiles. It’s a big wine for a Grenache too, with less of the redcurrant and more deeper black flavours, with a sense of the unknown old vine intensity and long tannins – really rather molten black fruit and tannins that rumble through the back palate. Excellent intensity and superb tannins – way too long for normal Grenache. Top level of tannins. It needs time to come together, but those tannins alone are marvellous. Incredibly impressive wine. 18.9/20, 95/100Head Wines ‘The Blonde’ Shiraz 2012 14.3% $40
From a single vineyard in Stonewell which includes some grey sands (hence The Blonde). Includes up to 5% Viognier skins (though not in every fermentation batch). Two seperate clones of Shiraz.
From a single vineyard in Stonewell which includes some grey sands (hence The Blonde). Includes up to 5% Viognier skins (though not in every fermentation batch). Two seperate clones of Shiraz.
Ah, charcuterie! There’s some charred, sausagey complexity here which adds interest. Lovely perfume and shape, if just a little stunted through the middle – it really needs a few years. Lovely blackness and impressive tannin. A delicious wine just looking to find its feet. 18.5/20, 94/100+
Head Wines ‘The Brunette’ Syrah 2012 13.9% $40
All Shiraz and comes out of a single vineyard at Moppa Hill that includes some brown ironstone rocks. Includes some whole bunches in the ferment. This looked just a little flatter compared to the Blonde, though I think they’re not far off in the scheme of things. Worth a revisit in a year or threes time. Buy a six pack of each?
All Shiraz and comes out of a single vineyard at Moppa Hill that includes some brown ironstone rocks. Includes some whole bunches in the ferment. This looked just a little flatter compared to the Blonde, though I think they’re not far off in the scheme of things. Worth a revisit in a year or threes time. Buy a six pack of each?
Definitely the most mainstream of the line and already open for business – there’s a coffeed character here which you’d almost call American oak of I didn’t know better. Open knit tannins too. More conventional but not to be doubted. Already likeable. 18.2/20 93/100
Head Wines ‘The Redhead’ Shiraz 2012 14% $90
From a single vineyard near Moculta in the Eden Valley. Supremely stylish Shiraz, shaded only by the ‘specialness’ of the Ancient Vines Grenache.
Black colour. Huge colour intensity. A little sausages and anise and backed by a linear and very proud palate. Hello new Barossa! Fine coffeed tannins. Gritty tannins. Great composure. Very Sausagey and Rhoney for Eden! Takes aim squarely at HoG here! Underplayed oak. Magnificent length and power. Top shelf. 18.7/20, 95/100
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