Description

Setiono Flaxman is a cracking wine. The Naimanya Vineyard is over 30 years old and is the highest Shiraz vineyard in South Australia. I enjoy this wine for its subtle and layered perfume. Clearly showing it altitude, there is a fine and driving acid that retains some of the freshness. There is a different character with each sip, and I implore you to give Setiono Flaxman time. I would drink after 2029.

Setiono Flaxman Barossa Valley Shiraz 2022, and all wines are eligible for at least 5% off any six bottles. And 10% off any 12 bottles. Some wines will be at a more significant discount and not subject to further discounts.

Samantha Chandra created the Setiono label out of her passion for Rhone-styled Shiraz. Sam has experience working at Wynns, Yering Station and Agricola. Sam has access to fruit from two mature vineyards, one in Ebenezer and one in Eden Valley. These are lovely wines, made without compromise and are pleasing to drink.

Setiono Flaxman Barossa Valley Shiraz 2022 Winery Notes

“V22 in Eden Valley was a cool and mild season with slow ripening conditions resulting in bright acidity and giving rise to aromatic, vibrant wines.

The fruit for this wine was sourced from Christa and Leon Deans’ Naimanya vineyard in Flaxman Valley. Their vineyard is believed to be the highest shiraz site in SA, sitting at an elevation of 525m. The vines are over 30 years old with granitic loam soils that were formed from impact with a meteorite.

Two picks were made; an earlier pick for vibrant, natural acidity and a later pick for complexity. 100% whole bunches were wild fermented with three weeks on skins then matured on full lees for about a year. 100% old oak barrels were used, along with one second-fill François Frères hogshead.

Bottling took place on site without filtration or fining and all movements were done by gravity.

Production – 1723 bottles

The label background was painted by Angela Oemcke and was created to mimic the waterways underneath the vineyard and convey Eden Valley’s cool climate.”

Barossa Valley

One of the major wine regions of Australia. Known for making great Shiraz by any standard as well as Grenache, Mataro, Semillon and much more. There has been a lot of work finding the sub-regions that excel for each style and variety planted.

Shiraz/Syrah

A bit of a chameleon, Shiraz can change how it looks depending on the terroir and/or winemaker influence. The Syrah-based wines of Northern Rhone are dry and austere, while the Shiraz of Barossa is rich and fleshy. A variety that lends itself to long aging but can be drunk at any time of its evolution.

Australian Wine

The invasion of “Sunshine in a bottle” put Australian wine on the map.  The fruity, easy-going, somewhat samey wines were endearing for a short time. Then the next big thing knocked them off their perch.

This forced producers to increase quality and emphasise the special terroirs of Australia. Of which, there are many. And many more yet to be discovered.

Wine

Wine is the result you get from fermented grape juice. There is proof of wine production dating back 8000 years ago. Fashions, innovations and many other factors have influenced the way wine has evolved over the years.

The wine grape is special. It contains everything you need to make grape wine except for the yeast, which lives on the outside of the skins.

Human inputs can influence the final product, including the viticulture (growing) choices. And the winemaker can shape the wine to a point too.

The best wines of the world often refer to terroir. Terroir is a French term that refers to all the climatic, geological and topographical influences on a specific piece of land. And it is true that neighbouring vineyards, grown identically, can taste noticeably different.

Red Wine

Fun fact; most of the colour for wines comes from the skins. There are only a handful of grapes that have red juice. Alicante is the most well known of these grapes.

By macerating the juice on the skins, the wine gains tannins and flavours. Certain compounds change the chemistry of the wine too.

Red wines tend to have higher alcohol. More tannin and more oak flavours compared to other styles of wine. But the thousands of grapes and terroirs they grow in influence this.

The Wine Depository

I, Phil, have been running The Wine Depository since 2011. The Wine Depository exists to make sure you are drinking the good wines. You can browse and pick what is interesting to you. Or you can make contact with me. I’ll make sure you get what you want, to your palate, to your budget and to your door.