The Barossa’s No. 1 Shiraz?

August 2002

In 1859 William Salter cleared 10 acres of land at his Mamre Brook homestead near Angaston in the Barossa and planted Shiraz. On March 20, 1862 Saltram crushed its first grapes and produced 1800 gallons of a wine that was simply called "No.1 Shiraz".

140 years after the first No. 1 Shiraz was made, the 1998 vintage of Saltram No. 1 is released, a wine that will go down as one of the truly great reds to have been made at this historic winery.

Sourced from a combination of old vineyards on the eastern side of the Valley floor, and the cooler Eden Valley, the wine is a classic statement of intensity and finesse. While rich and warm in the classic Barossa style, the wine also has a seamless structure and extraordinary length of flavour.

Vintage 1998 was widely regarded as the best in the region for a decade and this wine has been awarded three trophies and six gold medals at major wine shows across Australia. It had the rare distinction last year of collecting the Best Shiraz of Show at both the Royal Adelaide and Barossa Wine Shows – widely considered two of the most prestigious wine shows for red wine trophies as well as the caliber of judges the shows attract.

Saltram winemaker and former Barossa Winemaker of the Year, Nigel Dolan, sticks to the tried and true Barossa winemaking techniques with this, his homage to the great Saltram wines of the past.

"The wine is made in the traditional Barossa manner, utilizing old style 8 tonne open fermenters with heading-down boards. After a pretty warm ferment the wine is then pressed into oak barrels at dryness, " Dolan said.

"It is then matured in 100% new oak for two years but what makes our Number One a little different to many top end Barossa shiraz is that the oak is split exactly 50/50 between French and American oak, something we have been doing for the best part of a decade".

Rather than feature his own effusive tasting note, Nigel thought James Halliday’s tasting note hit the right note – Halliday was, afterall, chairman of the judging panel that awarded the wine its trophy at the 2001 Barossa Show.

"Excellent red purple colour, clean rich round and full bouquet is followed by a luscious and rich palate, full of black cherry and chocolate fruit, oak and tannins. At the big end of town and will richly repay extended cellaring. Trophy winner 2001 Barossa Wine Show and gold medal 2001 Great Australian Shiraz Challenge. Rating 95/100

For further information please contact Saltram.

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