Wine Review: Eperosa's challenging year produces a brilliant blend

One such label is Brett Grocke’s Eperosa. Grocke is a bit of a gun in the vineyard, a sought-after manager of all things grapey and an all-round lovely bloke. It’s fairly safe to say that the Barossa in good hands with winemakers such as him.

Grocke is part owner (along with Rockford Wines) of an old Krondorf property and in 2013 purchased his own vineyard (the oldest vines planted in 1896) in the eastern range of the Barossa just below Mengler’s Hill. He’s also just built his own winery/cellar door.

In 2016 a strange thing happened to the wild yeast population in the new buildings. The fruit was beautiful, but the wild yeast population struggled in their new surroundings and, as a result, Grocke declassified all of his single-vineyard wine and produced only one wine out of 2016.

What turned out to be a challenging year for a young winemaker turns out to be a major bonus for us. There is wonderful fruit from some amazing vineyards in it, it tastes wonderful and it is amazing value for money.

Forty-one per cent Mataro from the famed Hoffman, Ebenezer Sand and Church Blocks, 32 per cent Grenache from the Krondorf 1903 and 1999 plantings and 27 per cent Shiraz from the Magnolia 1896, 1965, 1999 and 2010 blocks.

Pure, medium-bodied and packed with red/dark fruits, spice and violet high-tones, it’s just delicious and, at $25 a bottle, it’s an absolute bargain.

EPEROSA 2016 Meld

eperosa.com.au