Specifications
Eden Valley | Barossa | SA
100% single vineyard | estate grown
Winemaker | Jo Irvine
14.5% Alc | dry | 6 pack cases | Ideal serving temperature around 17 – 19ºc
Cellaring | Drinking beautifully right now & under the right conditions, will cellar well for 8-10 years.
Vegan | all our wines are vegan
2018 ZIP LINE SHIRAZ
$26.00
Silver | 2021 London Wine Competition
Silver | 2021 San Francisco International Wine Competition
93 Points | Wine Orbit – Sam Kim
91 Points | WineFolio – David Walker Bell
91 Points | Winepilot – Ken Gargett
Top 10 Shiraz in NZ | NZ Dish Magazine ~March 2022~
Our Zip Line Shiraz is named after the zip line cable at our vineyard which generates endless laughter for all generations of the family – and much like this wine, it’s a smooth ride to the end. Our Zip Line Shiraz is made from our Eden Valley single vineyard Shiraz grapes, plucked from a combination of our older vines with an average vine age of 60 years, to give depth and complexity, and from our younger vines planted in 2008, to give fruit freshness and vibrancy. Whole berries spend 7 days on skins in open-top fermenters before being pressed and left to mature in a mix of new and old and French oak for approximately 15 months.
Vibrant upon release, this wine will easily mature for 8 to 10 years to come.
Our 2018 Brockenchack Zip Line Shiraz is rosewood red purple in colour. This middleweight Eden Valley Shiraz impresses from the get go with dense rose petal perfume, plum quince fruits and a hint of vanilla on the nose, followed by a chewy mouthful of warm lush purple fruits, held together with well balanced tannin and acid. The wine is built for rich and meaty dishes – osso bucco, bacon wrapped filet mignon with garlicky mushrooms, a chunky steak and onion pie, slow roasted lamb shoulder or spaghetti bolognaise or meatballs.
Our Zip Line Shiraz is named after the zip line cable at our vineyard which generates endless laughter for all generations of the family – and much like this wine, it’s a smooth ride to the end. Our Zip Line Shiraz is made from our Eden Valley single vineyard Shiraz grapes, plucked from a combination of our older vines with an average vine age of 60 years, to give depth and complexity, and from our younger vines planted in 2008, to give fruit freshness and vibrancy.
Silver | 2021 London Wine Competition
Silver | 2021 San Francisco International Wine Competition
93 Points | Wine Orbit – Sam Kim
“Upfront and fabulously lifted with Black Doris plum, blackberry, toasted almond and dark chocolate notes, it’s generous and flavoursome in the mouth offering plump mouthfeel and fleshy texture, making it delightfully drinkable. At its best: now to 2030.” ~April 2022~
91 Points | WineFolio – David Walker Bell
“Bramble, white pepper, christmas cake, eucalypt, plum and vanilla on the nose. Concentrated and elegant, staying taut and linear into the palate. That doesn’t mean there aren’t ripe, soft textures, fine tannin and good acidity. A hint of milk chocolate and liquorice towards the decent finish.”
91 Points | Winepilot – Ken Gargett
“From a single vineyard in the Eden Valley, this is an opaque black/purple in colour. The nose, coiled and intense, gives up plums, black cherries, chocolate, coffee beans and mocha. The palate adds leather and cloves and, towards the finish, some sour cherries. Good acidity, focus and length, this wine has a good decade or more ahead of it and while pleasing now, is going to get considerably better. Richly flavoured, this is a fine Barossa Shiraz. Drink to 2034.”
91 Points | National Liquor News Australia ~September 2021 tasting~
“Medium bodied with classic Syrah style flavours of dark fruit and white pepper. Good use of oak gives vanilla licks and comlexing spice. Well crafted.” ~Michael Mcintosh~
Top 10 + 4.5 Stars | NZ Dish Magazine – Best Aussie Shiraz in NZ Tasting ~March 2022~
“With its sweet vanillin oak, dark berry intensity, tobacco and roast plum complexity, this shiraz impressed straight away. “Fresh, lovely palate weight and very, very well made,” noted Cameron. “With berry blossoms on the nose, a gently plump, plummy palate and tannins prickling under your front lip, it’s rather fabulous.” ageed Yvonne Lorkin.
Yvonne Lorkin | Wine Review
“Here in Kiwiland we call a ‘zip line’ a ‘flying fox’ because we all feel a bit foxier when we’re hurtling at speed hanging from a wire contraption with certain death or disability resulting if we let go right? Nothing sexier. Except perhaps this wine. Spicy, sultana cake aromatics envelop the nose, followed by a rich, warming, woolly mouthfeel. It’s an exotic-yet-home-comfort example that’ll reward anyone praying for blackcurrant, pepper, eucalypt and cocoa in their sipping. Lush and lovely when savoured with old-fashioned, peppery Shepherd’s Pie.”
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History of Quality:
2019 vintage | 94 Points – National Liquor News | Silver – 2022 London Wine Competition | Silver (92) – 2022 Melbourne International Wine Competition
2018 vintage – Silver – 2021 San Francisco International Wine Competition | Silver – 2021 London Wine Competition | 93 Points – Sam Kim, Wine Orbit | Top 10 + 4.5 stars – NZ Dish Magazine, Best Aussie Shiraz Available in NZ Tasting
2017 vintage | Gold – 2019 New Zealand International Wine Competition | Gold – 2019 Melbourne International Wine Competition
2016 vintage | Silver – 2018 Melbourne International Wine Competition | 5 Stars + Best Buy + Top 5 – in the NZ Cuisine Magazine’s Australian Shiraz Tasting
2015 vintage | Bronze – 2017 NZ International Wine Show | Top 30 Australian Shiraz – Drinks Magazine, Australian Shiraz Tasting (& Top 10 pick of South Australian Shiraz) | 4 Stars and Best Buy – NZ Cuisine Magazine, NZ & Australia Shiraz Tasting
2018
The growing season in Eden Valley started off well, with winter 2017 rainfall up slightly higher than average. In spring, drier soils, combined with warmer than average spring days meant the vine canopies grew quickly; flowering well and setting a good number of bunches. Summer rainfall for us was down on average. January and February were warm and dry, with very warm temperatures in February slowing down the pace of ripening. With the lower summer rainfall, growers with access to water, soil moisture monitoring, good irrigation management and healthy soils experienced less stress – and subsequently delivered sound fruit and consistent yields. These are all practices that Brockenchack invest heavily into. The Indian summer of March and early April was what some people are calling ‘the icing on the cake’, with average temperatures, without extremes. Overall a strong, healthy crop for us.
We commenced hand picking for the 2018 vintage on the 1st of March with our Pinot Noir the first grapes to come off the vine. Pinot Grigio and Riesling were then machine packed in the first week of March. Chardonnay and Rosé came off next around mid March. Shiraz harvesting commenced in the last week of March and continued through to the 11th of April with each tier being picked at different times. The last two to come off the vines were the Grenache on the 11th, and we wrapped it up with the Cabernet on the 12th of April – seeing out an amazing vintage for Brockenchack this year.
We are delighted with the high-quality grapes and great yields that this vintage delivered. The colours and flavours in our reds are exciting and the high level of natural acids in our whites reflect our great Eden Valley characteristics. Standout varieties for our region this year include Riesling, Chardonnay, Shiraz, Grenache and Cabernet. We are very excited for the release of our reds in a few years’ time.
