Greenock Creek Wines releases flagship wines from the 2020 and 2022 vintages

Greenock Creek Wines has been part of the Barossa Valley fabric since 1984, when Michael Waugh, a stone mason by trade, made his first shiraz in order to save a series of old dryland, low-yielding Barossa vineyards from a vine pull scheme. With the help of neighbours and a hands-on approach, Michael built a reputation for bold, expressive wines – a legacy cemented by the purchase of the Marananga vineyard in 1994, home to the famed Roennfeldt Road vineyard.

“This name quickly became one of the most famous cult wines of the '90s and 2000s,” reflects winemaker Alex Peel. Alex began working at Greenock Creek Wines in 2019, a year after new family owners inherited the legacy and began remediation work on the vineyards.

The 23 hectares are hand pruned, hand picked, and all wines are basket pressed, however Alex has also made changes to push the wines to a new level of purity through early picking and the use of tight-grained, lightly toasted oak. “This all allows Greenock Creek to produce an amazing array of single-site wines that are indicative of the soils in which we grow on the Western Ridge of the Barossa Valley,” says Alex.

Founder Michael Waugh, a stone mason by trade, built the original winery next to the house.

The latest flagship collection is made up of wines from the Seppeltsfield and Marananga vineyards, from the 2020 and 2022 vintages. “The Roennfeldt Road Shiraz and Cabernet from 2020 originated in a very low-cropping and dry season,” Alex explains. “This gave us immense natural intensity in the wines, with underlying dark cherry and savoury notes.” Released with some bottle age, the rich and silky tannin profile of these two wines is now starting to emerge.

The three wines from 2022 represent a “magical” vintage at the winery. As Alex explains, “A mild vintage allowed us to maintain very cool ferments, retaining floral elements to the wines and great natural acidity. We had amazing natural colour and tannin definition right from the beginning, and this has evolved with these wines.”

All five flagship wines received scores between 95 and 97 points by Tasting Team member Dave Brookes. The wines have been made to cellar with grace for an extended period of time (10–15+ years), although the softer, integrated tannin allows them to be enjoyed now, taking that little bit of extra care to decant the wine.

As for food pairings? “High-quality meat dishes, and especially Barossa-cured meats, are always a winning combination,” says Alex.

Click through below to read the reviews from Dave Brookes, or shop the wines at greenockcreekwines.com.au.

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