Koonunga Hill & Ebenezer || Barossa Valley
Shiraz 100%
14.8% Alc
25 Years Old Vine
Aged in a 2,500 litre, old French foudres
Our owner/winemaker, Craig Isbel, was head winemaker at TORBRECK for 10 years. During his time, numerous Torbreck wines received 100 point scores!
The 2022/2023 growing period continued our run of cool vintages and near record rain, with 53 days of rain recorded in spring alone. This extended run of wet springs in combination with average yields had a noticeably positive effect on the health of vineyards throughout the Barossa. It is less advantageous to have rain during harvest and fortunately, the wet weather settled down during summer and we were met with warm but not hot conditions. We only experienced thirteen days above 35 degrees and no days above 40 for the third year running. These cool harvests allow us to create pure, energetic, balanced wines and give us the flexibility in the winery to schedule perfect picking dates and gentle, controlled maceration. A late start to harvest ensured that we were
picking in the cool of Autumn, with the vast majority of fruit being received in April. Overall, a great harvest with excellent vineyard health and fruit condition. 2023 doesn’t appear to be in the same class as 2021 and 2022, but we will still release some superb wines from this vintage.
The 2023 Rob & Les is fragrant, vibrant and fresh, rustic and interesting, has strong personality and as always is made with passion and energy. Aged in seasoned French oak the fruit driven characters are showcased and accentuated in this classic and bold expression of Barossa Shiraz. The energy in the wine is a testament to the season, with the purity of the fruit being a hallmark of classic Barossa Vintages.
The 2023 Rob & Les is sourced primarily from two vineyards; the Kalleske Hillside Vineyard and the Hoffmann Mickans Vineyard, both located in the north of the Barossa Valley. These sites are on the famed red clays of the North, giving the wine a structure and elegance that is a hallmark of this special locale. These two vineyards complement each other perfectly and combine to produce a wine that has personality and drinkability. We believe this wine is terrific value and will age beautifully over the next 5 – 10 years.
Izway ROB & LES Shiraz 2023
Our owner/winemaker, Craig Isbel, was head winemaker at TORBRECK for 10 years. During his time, numerous Torbreck wines received 100 point scores!
Izway Wines (est. 2003) is a tiny family-owned winery committed to crafting beautiful wines that reflect the character of their environment, and the natural tendencies of their growing season. Traditional winemaking techniques such as basket presses and natural ferments are utilised, resulting in wines that are not only distinctive and expressive but also demonstrative of the unique characteristics for which the Barossa Valley is renowned.
During the harvest of 2002 at Chateau du Bluizard, I met another Australian winemaker, Brian Conway, and over many glasses of Gamay and pastis, we became great mates. After harvest we shared a flight home, and as the sun rose over Australian waters, we decide to create our own winery. Izway Wines was born.
The modern, purpose build facility was designed with sustainability in mind, with both the cellar door and winery operating completely off-grid. Utilising solar energy and barely storage, if was the first of its kind in the Barossa Valley.
Our wine making is simple and minimalistic, based on old world, hands on techniques. We limit our acid additions as much as possible, rarely use nutrient, never use tannin or any other additions and we never fine or filter our wines. We use all old oak (apart from 2 barrels a year) and age some of our wine in large oak Fudre (2.4kL). We also use some whole bunch winemaking with Grenache and Mataro and only destem (we don’t crush) our Shiraz.