Smart single vineyard Barossan reds under $40 from Samuel Joseph

Continuing on yesterday’s theme of 20 flavoursome wines for under $35, today’s offering is a range of Barossan reds that are far too smart for a $39 RRP.

The Samuel Joseph range is another from Sanjay Chhabra’s Gambit Wines portfolio, sitting alongside the Jaya wines that I’ve banged on about before. Sanjay is a good man, who really undersells the quality of everything he sells, to the point where I was badgering him to raise his prices only last week.

Anyway, these Samuel Joseph Barossan reds show exactly why. Made by Corey Ryan (Sons of Eden) and using A1 fruit, they’re uniformly powerful and layered wines with an uncompromising Barossan thunder.

If they had a Henschke label, these same wines would be double or even triple the dollars.

Of course, there’s a catch: It comes in meagre quantities, and there is no promise of more. Buy directly from Sanjay’s website here.

Samuel Joseph Cowham Vineyard Shiraz 2022

Arguably the finest wine in this range, and it’s a super charismatic Barossan red. Drawn from the east-west block on the Cowham Vineyard at Light Pass, wild fermented and spends 12 months in 30% new oak with no fining of filtration, with just 165 dozen produced. No compromises. It feels like epic Barossan red too – there’s a chunky, milk chocolate decadence to this wine which just goes on and on. It’s thickset, oak-enriched, bold and yet when it threatens to be big, there’s this grainy savoury textural width and then enough real tannins to make it really punch through. In some moments I thought the oak was too dominant, but it’s sexy enough that it all works out in the wash. Gold medal stuff.

Best drinking: now and for fifteen years (if you want). 18.5/20, 94/100. 14.2%, $39.

Samuel Joseph Roesler Vineyard Shiraz 2022

Sourced from the 1978 block on the Roesler Vineyard near the township of Eden Valley. Again, wild fermented, 12 months in older oak, and no fining or filtration. If the Cowham Vineyard wine was a big personality, this is the moody one. It’s bold, yes, but also dark and compact in a very Eden Valley way – there’s that sense of mystery that the old Eden Valley vineyards offer. Dark fruit, bacon fat and this milk chocolate character that I thought was just oak, but ultimately decided is a vineyard character. Iodine, chocolate cherry, interesting nuances. It’s not necessarily an easy wine (it’s a bit dark and tight), but shitloads of intrigue at every angle.

Best drinking: good now, even better in 2-3 years time. 18/20, 93/100+. 13.9%, $39

Samuel Joseph Trial Hill Grenache 2022

Again, far too good for $39. From the 90-year-old Trial Hill Vineyard, wild fermented, with 15% whole bunches, and matured for 12 months in old oak. 166 dozen. There’s the red pastille fruit character of old vine Barossan Grenache and all sorts of briary depths to be found. Medium-bodied yet not lacking in power, it swishes on through with a red fruit swagger that speaks of quality fruit. Perhaps a little warming, but authenticity in droves.

Best drinking: good now, and will do ten years easy. 18/20, 93/100. 14%, $39.