Top Barossan red under $30: Soul Growers Resurgence Cabernet Shiraz 2012

Soul Growers Resurgence Cabernet Shiraz 2012 (Barossa Valley, SA)
14.5%, Screwcap, $25

There’s much to be said for rich Barossan reds.

Sure, it’s cooler to be espousing the virtues of whole bunch Geelong Syrah, or wildly funky Adelaide Hills Chardonnay (I like both, by the way), but the joyful generosity of a rich Barossan red sure does take some beating.

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When such richness is delivered without excesses of sugar and oak sweetness – as it is with the Soul Growers wines – then mark me down as a big fan.

The secret to the Soul Growers success is no secret at all – it’s time-honoured. The vines used can be very old, the winemaking equipment and process even older; with open ferments, basket pressing, minimal pumping, and no fining or filtration the name of the game.

Old school, and proud of it.

This wine, one of the entry level reds in the range, is also a deliberate homage to the classic Barossan blend, with a 50/50 split of Shiraz and Cabernet. Fittingly, it looks and smells as Barossan as you’ll get, the colour seriously black/red with a density that is remarkable. It smells concentrated, limitless, and dark, the fruit and oak amalgam typically impressive.

What wins you over is how these smooth, dark plum/cola flavours are delivered – thickly, but in a savoury form, making for a big red that never feels confected or even necessarily ‘fruity’. Just very rich. The alcohol seems well integrated too (which can be the only distraction in the Soul Growers wines).

While this Shiraz Cab ultimately doesn’t have the ‘finish to last an age’ of the more premium Soul Growers reds (which is reflected in the score), the deliciousness and genuineness of this Barossan wine makes it hard not to like.

Seriously good wine from a seriously good producer.

Source: Tasting
Tasted: May 2014
Drink: 2014-2024+
Score: 18.2/20, 93/100
Would I buy it? Oh yes.