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DUTSCHKE
Around
the end of the 19th century, this 72-acre patch of real estate
included only a few acres of vineyard, with most of the area being dedicated to
cropping and dairy cattle. At the start of the 1930?s Oscar Semmler, Wayne?s
grandfather, bought the block and more vineyard was planted, but it remained
primarily a grazing area for dairy purposes. Oscar?s Dad referred to the dirt
as a ?wonder of creation?, a fact borne out by the wine now coming from it.
The vineyard of that time, while reflecting the fortified market of the day, did
not predict the potential to produce the rich varietal flavors found in current
production. Oscar?s son Ken returned to the Barossa Valley in the early
1970?s after first spreading his wings as a fighter pilot with the RAAF,
dodging anti-aircraft fire above the jungles of Vietnam. Then in 1975, the
transition began with Ken starting the planting of the beloved Shiraz, and it is
this first area of Shiraz which provides the precious component of
?Dutschke? wine. Currently forty-five acres are planted with Shiraz making
up one third of that area, the balance including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and
Chardonnay. In 1990 Ken and Wayne decided to keep some of these grapes for
themselves and start producing wine of their own from this vineyard. Production
never intended to be a big time operation, with the bulk of the fruit each year
being delivered to the Krondorf and Mildara Blass Winemakers. The winemaking
experience that Wayne has gained came from working with some of the well known
quality Winemakers of Australia, including Yalumba, Grant Burge, Krondorf,
Mitchelton and Mildara Blass, as well as doing the wandering minstrel act of
winemaking in California, Spain and France.
"This is the finest performance yet for the wines of Dutschke. Dutschke's fortifieds are also special." Robert Parker
www.dutschkewines.com
Shiraz St Jakobi
The Shiraz vines on the
family vineyard, planted in 1975, are consistent year after year in providing
grapes with the rich, spicy, plum and chocolate like characters that found in
both the St. Jakobi and Oscar Semmler Shiraz. This is a wine with similar big,
full, rich characters as the first produced in 1998. There are rich mouth
filling dark plum and black cherry fruit flavors, with support of vanillin and
spicy oak, giving a finish of soft drying tannin.
2000 $27.99
very limited
"Firm in texture, with sharply focused black cherry, anise and cedar
flavors that linger on the chewy finish. Drink now through 2010. 266 cases
imported." The Wine Spectator 12/15/02
Willow Bend
Produced
since 1990, the style of this wine to be big, flavorsome and very consistent
over the years. With time the older Willow Bend's have also showed great
complexing characters while still maintaining their fruit flavor. The 2001
Willow Bend Merlot Shiraz Cabernet has big round soft fruit on both the nose and
palate, and the combination of both American and French oak have married well
with these fruit characters to provide some underlying chocolate flavor with
sweet vanillin oak.
2001
$28.99 very
limited
"Plump, supple style offers spicy, oak-scented black cherry and berry
flavors, finishing with some refinement. Merlot, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Drink now through 2005. 487 cases imported." The Wine Spectator Web
Shiraz Oscar Semmler
Each year the most flavorsome and
best structured barrels of Shiraz are blended together for the "Oscar
Semmler", representing "the best of the vintage." Only 16 barrels
have been chosen to produce this small quantity of 550 dozen bottles. This
special selection of Shiraz grapes has been harvested at optimum maturity from
vineyards planted in 1975. The must was fermented warm (22-28C) for 7 days,
before transferring to new and one year old French Oak Hogsheads to complete
fermentation. The wine was then matured in these same oak barrels for a further
24 months.
2001
$54.99
"The most serious of the commercially available cuvees is the 2001 Shiraz
Oscar Semmler (550 cases). Its inky purple color is followed by big, full-bodied
aromas of creosote, blackberries, and white flowers, and sweet, concentrated,
dense, powerful, pure flavors. Interestingly, this offering is aged for 24
months in both new and one-year old French hogsheads, which are much bigger than
standard barrels." 92 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate 3148
The Tokay
A 15-year-old Tokay component makes the base with some
5-year-old Barossa Tokay and a heavy slug of the fresh and luscious 2002 Tokay
produced from a single row of old estate vines blended with it. You'll find this
wine showing burnt toffee and nutty like characters and having a sweet rich
luscious palate finishing round and spicy from the oak. 65 cases produced
mv $35.99-375ml
"Unctuously textured. Reveals a similar flavor profile with perhaps
more balsamic, maple syrup and Asian spice like characteristics. It is
quite spectacular and very sweet. " 98 Robert Parker, The Wine
Advocate #155
The Muscat
The Muscat is currently a blend of
North East Victorian Muscat blended with Barossa Muscat (Frontignac). These
wines show great richness and a complexity of flavor. Fruitcake, toffee,
raisins, coffee, combined with the natural grape sweetness, oak and alcohol
produce a wine style uniquely Australian. 280 cases produced
mv $34.99-375ml
"Notes of figs, brandy macerated raisins, carmel, molasses and black
tea emerge from this spicy, mincemeat tasting, unctuously textured,
stunning Muscat." 95
Robert Parker, The Wine
Advocate #155
Tawny 22 years old
mv
$39.99-375ml
"
Concentrated, aged 22 years in small oak and larger hogshead barrels.
It offers a medium amber color along with explosive aromas and flavors
of scorched earth, honey, molasses, toffee, caramel and orange
marmalade. It too is a brilliant fortified."98 Robert Parker, The Wine
Advocate #155
A Grateful Palate
Selection
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