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Magpie Estate is a joint venture, which began in 1993, with the English wine merchant Noel Young. Noel who is based in Cambridge, U.K. has a passion for the Rhone varieties that matches my own. Most of the wines are sold into the English market with smaller parcels kept for Australia. The grapes only partly come from Veritas vineyards and this allows me to buy from further a field. Noel also likes more new oak than you will find in Veritas wines. Noel visits Australia twice per year and together we taste the various parcels of wine and agree on final blends for bottling.

The Magpie expression changes from label to label and this is done to poke fun at wine pretension. The range can vary from vintage to vintage and the following wines have been made over the last few years.

Magpie Estate ‘The Salvation’ Barossa Valley Gewurztraminer

Great With Asian Food

The Salvation is a tribute to those great Alsatian Gewurztraminer's that combine so well with our modern dining habits. First made in 2007, we found it so popular we went on to release a 2008 vintage, and the 2009 is also looking impressive.

A touch of Semillon is added at blending to just give some extra palate weight. Zesty, tangy nose with hints of lychee and ginger on an aromatic nose. It's meant to be a crisp style. Nice tangy citrus and spice on the palate including ginger, with a touch of phenolic, typical of this thick skinned variety. Rich weight with a lovely fresh finish and good acidity. Will develop with age and shows good potential.

Noel Young, winemaker

The Gewurztraminer is a style of wine we really enjoy so we found a suitable vineyard in the hills north of the Barossa.

It's an off-dry style with around 9 grams per litre of residual sugar. Perfumed with lychee, citrus and a touch of musk on the nose. Fairly crisp for Gewurztraminer on the palate, tangy with honeyed lychee and citrus. Finishes with clean acidity. Really appealing and great with lots of Asian dishes.

We have made this wine to be immediately appealing. It should however flesh out in the bottle and provide more complexity in the short term. As it's under screwcap it should remain fresh for 3-4 years.

Very much made with Asian food in mind. A perfect compliment to light-medium spiced dishes.

Also, crisp enough to provide excellent al fresco drinking with or without food.

Christa Deans, winemaker

Magpie Estate ‘The Thief’ Barossa Valley Mourvedre Grenache

Summer Red

The mourvedre (mataro) in the Veritas Bulls Blood is made from the heavy grape skin mat left over after the ‘free run’ juice is run off. Some of this juice which is light in colour, like a rose, but high in alcohol goes into ‘The Thief’. The Grenache can have a number of sources. The blend percentage varies but is around 50%-50%.

This is a cracking dry rosé that works brilliantly with cold meats. Salmon-pink in colour, it has plenty of spice on the nose and palate, with strawberry and cherry fruit too. This is our 7th release of the Thief. Made in a deep Rosé style, it is a little drier than earlier styles. Made from free run juice - Mourvèdre and Grenache with a little Cabernet added. Has a deep salmon pink colour. The nose shows bright cherry and redcurrant with a touch of spice/pepper from the Grenache. It's bright and juicy with redcurrant and raspberry fruit. Has a little grip of tannin which makes this a great food style wine. Dry yet with some sweet fruit, this is if you like our most French rosé styled to date. More in the line of a Tavel style. Very drinkable as ever and will be good over the next 18 months.

Noel Young, winemaker

The Stelvin closure will ensure this wine remains fresh until 2009. Great with lightly spiced meats, strong flavoured fish dishes and char-grilled chicken. Delicious al-fresco drinking. The Mourvèdre (Mataro) in the Veritas Bulls Blood is made from the heavy grape skin mat left over after the 'free run' juice is run off. Some of this juice which is light in colour, like a rose, but high in alcohol goes into 'The Thief'. The Grenache can have a number of sources. The blend percentage varies but is around 50%-50%.

Rolf Binder, winemaker

Magpie Estate ‘The Schnell’ Barossa Valley Grenache Shiraz

Magpie Estate's Biggest Blend.

A really dense yet juicy Barossa red, and a cult favourite. This has lovely warm fruit, spice and oak, and it is exceptionally easy drinking.

A blend of 63.5% Shiraz 36.5% Grenache sourced from 4 Barossa growers. The wine is aged 10 months in 10% new American and French oak, with the balance in older and shaven oak. We make this to be a vibrant early drinking style though it will happily age for up to 5 years. Deep in colour, warm berry fruits on a vibrant nose with spice and a touch of oak. It's full bodied with a lovely rich texture. Vibrant berry and cherry fruit with lots of spice and creamy integrated oak, making it round and voluptuous. Great bang for your buck. It's rich yet really appealing and has what we at Magpie are hoping to achieve. Great drinkability.

Noel Young, winemaker

"The sweet confectionary and berry fruits of the Grenache will immediately appeal, or age over the next 2-10 years This generous, yet juicy, red is great with Mediterranean foods, pizza and rich pasta dishes. Try with stinky cheeses on a cold winter's afternoon."

Rolf Binder, winemaker

"A combination of 66% Shiraz and 34% Grenache, the 2005 The Schnell exhibits a denser ruby/purple color, deeper fruit purity and richness, and more seamlessness. It is best drunk over the next 3-4 years to take advantage of its exuberant youthfulness."

90 Points Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Magpie Estate ‘The Fakir’ Barossa Valley Grenache

Drink Outside The Square

Sourced from a number of vineyards for the first few years but is now mostly sourced from James Mader vineyard that lies on the valley floor at Light Pass in the Northern Barossa Valley. We do though keep our options open about the final blend.

The Fakir has become one of our most popular wines. 2005 was a stellar vintage, but not all the Grenache measured up this year. So we decided not to release our top Grenache, the Gomersal, this vintage and instead blended most of the fruit into this wine. As the Gomersal is aged in partly new French oak puncheons this means the Fakir has slightly more new oak influence than usual. The final blend includes 5% Shiraz which we often add to increase complexity and add structure. 40% new French oak, 10% new American oak the balance in 1-4 year old barrels. Displays classic cherry, white pepper, plum, clove, cinnamon, meat and toasty oak. Its medium bodied and really juicy. Plum and cherry combine with spice, meat and oak. Tannins are ripe. It's cast in the same mould as the last three releases. Lovely and perfumed with rich fruit, spice and toasty oak. Makes a great food wine as it's a very versatile style. Drink now-2013.

Noel Young, winemaker

Long the forgotten grape of the Barossa, grenache is now part of the great revival. It is a difficult grape to get right. The crop must be kept low, to the point that it becomes uneconomic for the grape farmer. Thus, the cheaper grenache-based wines, off higher crop yields, take on a pleasant 'lolly' like taste that rapidly gets boring. The Fakir is a most serious attempt to push the variety to its taste limit. At its best this variety dances across the palate and is a perfect luncheon red. Remember that it packs a powerful wallop.

Sourced from a number of vineyards for the first few years but is now mostly sourced from James Mader vineyard that lies on the valley floor at Light Pass in the Northern Barossa Valley. We do keep our options open about the final blend.

Rolf Binder, winemaker

"The 2005 Grenache "The Fakir" is medium crimson-colored with a pleasant perfume of cedar, spice box, violets, and kirsch. Medium-bodied, supple, and ripe, this forward Grenache is ready for prime time drinking. Fat, sweet, and forward, with excellent depth and concentration, this nicely balanced wine can be enjoyed over the next 6-8 years."

90 points. Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Magpie Estate ‘The Call Bag’ Barossa Valley Mourvedre Grenache

Enjoy The Other "Barossans"

A blend of 56% Mourvèdre and 44% Grenache sourced from 5 different growers. We call this our 'Estate Wine' and it was first made in 1993. Aged in nearly all older oak enhanced with about 10% new oak. We use 500 litre puncheons as well as our usual 300 litre hogsheads. Rich plum and black cherry on the nose with cinnamon and clove spice, and a touch of pepper too. It's rich and full with warm spicy fruit, liquorice, oak and spice. It's already drinking well, maybe not quite as good as the spectacular 2005 at this stage but it is very much in keeping with the style. Drink now and over the next 3-5 years.

Noel Young, winemaker

The wine is juicy and vibrant; a hugely appealing style. Deep in colour with warm berry fruits on a fresh inviting nose with spice and a touch of oak. It's full bodied with a lovely rich texture. Crunchy berry and cherry fruit, with lots of spice, and creamy integrated oak this makes it rich and voluptuous. The one wine in the range that best expresses the Magpie hallmark of great drinkability.

This wine could easily be called our 'Estate Red'. First made in 1993 it's our answer to good Cotes du Rhone Villages, though this is clearly a Barossan wine. The grapes come from different parcels and all the different components help to make this a complex balanced red. The majority is aged in 1-5 year old French and American hogsheads with a deliberately small percentage (around 20%) in new oak, also both French and American.

The dark spice and earthy nature of the Mourvèdre is balanced by the sweet Grenache

Pairs well with game birds such as duck, and can easily cope with a little spice. It is a perfect match with Asian spiced pork belly. Also lovely with rich meaty pasta dishes.

Age to 2014.

Rolf Binder, winemaker

2005 Call Bag Mourvèdre Grenache "The 2005 Mourvèdre (50%) - Grenache (50%) "The Call Bag" is dark ruby-colored with aromas of black cherry and blueberry. Fat, sweet, and forward, with excellent depth and concentration, this nicely balanced wine can be enjoyed over the next 6-8 years."

90 Points Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Magpie Estate ‘The Black Sock’ Barossa Valley Mourvedre

A Winter Warmer

The brand new Black Sock is now a mainstay of the Magpie Estate range. This year the wine comes from 4 different vineyards. The first 10 months in older oak, then 12 months into four 2 year old American, and one 1 year old French, puncheons. It's a co-fermentation of 82% Mourvèdre and 18% Grenache. It has a lovely aromatic nose with lots of black cherry, spice, liquorice and some toasty oak. It's really full and rich on the palate. Black fruits to the fore, it's pretty approachable for young Mourvèdre!! Juicy with liquorice, black pepper, clove and some oak. Cracking food wine, this has a great future and will drink very well over the next 10 years.

Noel Young, winemaker

This is the fourth release of the Black Sock. We are great believers in Mourvèdre (Mataro). This comes from five different growers. We feel the variety does not need lots of new oak. The first 10 months the wine was aged in older oak, we then transferred the wine to 500 litre puncheons; four 2 year old American and one 1 year old French, for the next 12 months. From the outstanding 2005 vintage - a really strong Mourvèdre year. A blend of about 85% Mourvèdre and 15% Grenache. The Grenache component comes from one particular vineyard where both Mourvèdre and Grenache are planted together. They are harvested at the same time and co-fermented. This lessens the impact of the Grenache in this wine, making it a very different style to 'The Call Bag'. It does however give the wine extra complexity and a juicy suppleness. An intense nose: meaty and spicy with dense black fruits and some toasty oak. It's a big dense wine. Savoury and meaty with black pepper and spice. A touch of creamy oak on the finish makes this appealing now, although it is sure to develop. Complex and long. Great with game, red meats, casseroles and winter vegetable dishes. Drink 2008-2015.

Rolf Binder, winemaker

The 2005 Mourvèdre "The Black Sock" contains 15% Grenache. It was aged in seasoned American oak puncheons. It offers a complex aromatic array of cedar, forest floor, truffle, blueberry, and blackberry. This leads to a structured wine with layers of spicy black fruits, excellent balance, and a long, fruit-filled finish. Give it 2-3 years to evolve and drink it through 2015.

92 Points Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Magpie Estate ‘The Sack’ Barossa Valley Shiraz

A True Sack Full Of Pleasure

A wine designed to cellar. Sourced from many growers and we take a tonne here and a tonne their, from old school friends and growers with whom we have built relationships.

This is the fifth release of our premium Barossa Shiraz, 'The Sack'. Coming from the excellent 2005 vintage. As ever this comes from a number of growers around the Barossa with the premium Northern Barossa regions like Ebenezer being a major part of the blend. Around 35% of the wine is aged in new oak, of this c60% is American and c40% is French the balance is aged in older and shaven oak for 22 months. 95% Shiraz and 5% Grenache. As with previous releases we like to blend in a little Grenache to add perfume and to give the palate a real appealing juiciness. The dense, brooding, savoury characters of the Shiraz have been given a lift and a touch of red berry fruit from the Grenache. On the nose it displays black cherry, plum and dried herbs. A touch of meat and spice too. Rich and full flavoured on the palate.. Already round and balanced with a lovely savoury meatiness allied to rich black cherry, plum and spice. Black pepper and oak on a long finish, it is quite an elegant Shiraz. May be our best Sack to date. Although made to be immediately appealing I think this wine will improve further and cellar until 2015 at least.

Noel Young, winemaker

There are more than two good reasons to buy this full flavored Barossa Shiraz. Mature vines have given us super-ripe and flavorsome grapes. The old traditions of open fermenters and careful use of oak have produced a well endowed yet balanced red. Enjoy the engorging fruits, black cherry and plum with spice and some creamy oak. This wine stays long in the mouth... Enjoy this big Barossa red in its youth, or cellar carefully and drink over the next five to seven years. A true sack full of pleasure.

A wine designed to cellar. Sourced from many growers and we take a tonne here and a tonne their, from old school friends and growers with whom we have built relationships.

Rolf Binder, winemaker

"The 2005 Shiraz "The Sack" includes 5% Grenache. Purple-colored, it delivers an enticing nose of cedar, spice box, pencil lead, blueberry, and blackberry. Made in a forward style, the wine has excellent depth and concentration, plenty of spicy black fruits, and a lengthy finish. Drink it over the next 10-12 years."

91 points Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Magpie Estate ‘The Wit and Shanker’ Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

The Barossa Secret

The third release of our Barossa Cabernet. We use this wine to honour one or more people in the wine business - the back label changes with each release. The fruit is sourced from neighbour Ivan Doecke's vineyard. Having seen the fruit over a few years we are more confident in our oaking.

Aged in 50% new French oak and 50% in 1 and 2 year old oak. Dense cassis, blackcurrant and sweet oak on the nose. It's full of sweet black berry fruit. Nice oak and a hint of cedar and herb too. It's quite a brooding dense Cabernet and over the course of a couple of hours it's really opened up. Ripe with good acidity and soft tannins, it will however improve over the next 3-5 years and may well drink for 10 years.

Noel Young, winemaker

The Cabernet Sauvignon of the Barossa is one of our best-kept secrets. The temperate weather of the region allows the grape sugars to be more increased than some of the cooler climate Cabernets, ensuring softer tannins and richer, juicier mouthfeel. The savoury characters are still evident although more towards the dark bitter chocolate and dark plums.

Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep in colour with lovely perfumed cassis on the nose, blackcurrant and some subtle oak too. It's rich yet elegant, nothing green and nothing tarry. Lovely fresh cassis fruit - really juicy with integrated creamy oak on the palate. Sweet and lively with great length.

Rolf Binder, winemaker

Magpie Estate ‘Gomersal’ Barossa Valley Grenache

Less Is More

This wine was first released with the 1999 vintage and the grapes come from our Western Ridges Estate and more specifically along a ridge against which a layer of wind blown sand has accumulated. So this is more than a single vineyard wine and grapes are taken only from the grapes on this specific sandy soil. Only tiny quantities are made.

"The latest Gomersal and the first since 2004. We made only 67 cases so it's very limited. Coming from a single vineyard in the Gomersal region. As ever we select a few rows of the best fruit. We aged this in barrel and hogshead, but when putting the wine together preferred the wine in the smaller barrels. The hogsheads were used in the Fakir, leaving us just 2 barrels. 5% Election Shiraz was added at blending. Aged in 1 year old French oak. It has the classic mocha and cinnamon nose with raspberry and plum fruit. It's a touch higher in acidity which gives the wine a real raspberry fruit feel. It's rich and textured with mocha, cinnamon, spice, pepper and toasty oak. Warm and rich it has lovely fruit, and the acidity makes it an even better food match. Not for long aging, drink over the next 3-5 years. Long and complex."

Noel Young, winemaker

"Magpie Estate are firm believers in the traditional Barossa varieties: Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre. This is our premium Grenache and is only made in the top vintages. The grapes come mostly from a very special single vineyard in the Gomersal region. Here our grower really believes 'less is more'. These old vines produce small amounts of top quality fruit. Picked fully flavor ripe, the wine is traditionally vinified in open fermenters and aged in new and older French oak. A small amount of Shiraz is blended in to give extra complexity. We believe this to be a true premium Grenache, showing a great concentration of fruit, pepper, spice and integrated oak. Richly textured on the palate it is powerful, yet soft and elegant. This wine is Barossa Grenache at its very best and most complex. Drink now or let develop over the next 7 years."

Rolf Binder, winemaker

"A serious effort, the 2004 Grenache Gomersal includes 3% Shiraz, and is aged in 500 liter pungeons. Its deep ruby color is followed by a sweet bouquet of cranberry jam, kirsch, licorice, spice box, and earth. Drink this long, rich, round, open-knit, heady Grenache over the next 4-5 years"

92 Points Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Magpie Estate ‘The Election’ Barossa Valley Shiraz

Barossa Shiraz At Its Best

The earlier releases came from many vineyards but over the last few years we have settled on fruit from the Hearden vineyard in the northern Baroosa Valley in a sub region called Light Pass and the Crowhurst vineyard at Greenock which is in a hilly area that bounds the flat lying Barossa Valley to the West.

The Election is only made in the best years, unlike many so-called super premiums or reserve styles. Hence, we "declassified" in 2003, which means the fruit was not superior enough for the Election, so the wine was placed into other blends.

The selection process for the Election begins in our best vineyards, and continues in the winery with rigorous barrel tasting to ensure that only the finest lots of the vintage make the final blend. Aged initially in 50% new French, and 50% new American oak, we make our first selection some 9 months after vintage and then change the oaks to get as much complexity as possible. Older oak and some new French and American barrels were used in the second round of maturation including some new American oak puncheons, which impart a subtler character. At final blending we added 3% of our super premium Grenache, 'The Gomersal', to add perfume and further complexity.

From an excellent Barossan vintage, the 2006 displays a deep colour with a powerful nose. Damson, black cherry, cassis, meat and spice with lots of toasty oak. On the palate this powerful Barossa Shiraz has great texture with, meat, black cherry, spice, black pepper, mocha and vanillin oak. Dense and powerful it retains good acidity that adds freshness to the wine. It's big and opulent but not overpowering. Sure to cellar well.

"Raising the bar is the 2005 Shiraz "The Election," a wine aged in French (70% new) and American oak. Purple/black in color, it emits a powerful perfume of pain grille, smoked meat, bacon, pencil lead, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. It has a deep core of spicy black fruits, superb balance, and immense promise. It merits 8-10 years of additional cellaring and will drink well through 2030."

95 Points Robert Parker The Wine Advocate

Magpie Estate ‘Malcolm’ Barossa Valley Shiraz

The Big One for the Cellar

I was asked by Noel to make a wine that pushed shiraz to its limit. It was made in 1994, 1995, 1996, poor vintage in 1997 so not made, became overripe in 1998 so not made, and 1999. Alas I then loss access to the fruit which was very special and the search went on for five years until a new source was found so we can revive this wine and its thick style.

After a 6 year hiatus we have produced the 5th Malcolm Shiraz. No longer from the original vineyard. Stylistically similar but more refined than the original wines. In 1994 I had the idea to push Shiraz to the limit. To make an intense, very ripe and powerful wine and see if we could make it balanced and great. I think we did and this style is now far more common - if rarely as good!!

I had long wanted to make this wine again having abandoned the project in 2000. Rolf eventually found what he thought a suitable vineyard in the Western Ridge region of the Barossa.

The few rows we selected were cluster thinned and left to hang longer than the rest of the crop: this resulted in a yield of less than one tonne to the acre. Aged for 10 months in new American 500 litre oak puncheons. Then racked into brand new French oak puncheons for a further 12 months. The wine was pushing 16% alcohol but we blended in 150 litres of one of our other premium Shiraz wines that just seemed to pull the wine together and add an extra dimension.

The finished wine is around 15.3% alcohol. Black in the glass. The nose offers up hugely ripe fruit - black cherry, cassis, plum alongside toasty mocha oak, meat, liquorice and spice. Rich and textured with a velvety palate. Almost too voluptuous and seductive now. It's huge! - rich and sweet with masses of high toned super-ripe black cherry and cassis. This is allied to sweet new oak, spice and pepper. It's a big wine but the tannins are super-ripe. It's a massive wine yet incredibly balanced and drinkable, though obviously has years ahead of it. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Noel Young, winemaker

"My partner in Magpie Estate, the English wine merchant Noel Young, asked me in 1993 to make a Barossa Shiraz that pushed the variety and style to the absolute limit. I did just that and made two barrels of 1994 which was aged in new oak. The wine was made in 1995 and 1996. It was not made in 1997 because of the poor vintage, while 1998 went too far by any definition of pushing the boundaries. The last vintage was in 1999.

I had sourced grapes from a special vineyard and I lost this source. You may recall that the 1996 caused a sensation and was awarded 99 Parker points. After much searching for the right low yielding vines the Malcolm returns. It was double oaked, meaning it spent a year in new American puncheons followed by a year in new French. The result is amazing."

Rolf Binder, winemaker

"Magpie's luxury cuvee (which was last produced in 1999), the 2005 Shiraz Malcolm, spent 12 months in new American oak and 12 months in new French 500 liter puncheons. This is the ultimate 200% new oak wine. Nevertheless, it holds it well, which gives you an idea of just how concentrated this beast is. An inky/blue/purple color is followed by notes of creosote, blueberry liqueur, violets, and a hint of camphor. Super-rich, powerful, and opulent, with a formidable level of tannin, it should hit its peak in 7-8 years and last for 25 or more." Drink 2013 - 2031

94-96 Points Robert Parker Wine Advocate

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