Turkey Flats Ageing Perfectly
Dr Martin Buck
Turkey Flats Wines are located in the spiritual heart of the Barossa in Bethany. The Schulz family have a connection with the property and vineyards going back to 1865 when the family built the original butcher’s shop. Fortunately for wine lovers the original Shiraz and Grenache vines survived the Government wine pull in 1987 and now are the backbone of some fabulous red wines. In 1990 the current Schulz family members purchased the property and set about building a winery and cellar door as well as preserving the heritage vines. Winemaker Mark Bulman has been in charge since 2008 and is a self-confessed Grenache tragic. Turkey Flat Wines are a snapshot of the history of winemaking in Australia.
The Wines
Turkey Flat 2015 Barossa Valley White
Here is a blend of the Rhone valley trinity of whites – Marsanne, Rousanne and Viognier. This medley of varieties is sourced from their Bethany and Stonewall vineyards, made in separate parcels using traditional Rhone techniques of whole-bunch pressing, extended skin contact and then new French oak maturation. It’s certainly an interesting wine with a closed nose, hints of stone fruit and ginger, with a clean finish. For me, I prefer these varietals as stand-alone wines as the blends can be a little complicated.
Turkey Flat 2015 Rose
Some of Australia’s greatest Rose wines come from this area and this wine is in that company. It’s a luscious, iridescent pink in the glass with unmistakeable strawberry, petal and confectionary aromas. Predominately Grenache but with a smattering of Shiraz, Cabernet, Mataro and Dolcetto, they all give complexity, big fruit and some spice. This is a standout Rose and perfect for a summer’s lunch of seafood or Asian dishes.
Turkey Flat 2014 Butcher’s Block
The Barossa is the Australian home of Grenache, Shiraz, Mataro blend which was “borrowed” from the lower Rhone valley. The 2014 Butcher’s Block blend is predominately Shiraz and contains fruit from some of the oldest Australian vines. As you head to the cellar door, these vines are along the driveway – ancient, gnarled, convoluted but alive and producing irreplaceable fruit. Each of the components of this wine are made separately and assembled for the final blend based on the vintage. There are aromas of ripe berries, spice and some feral hints. Palate weight is medium with soft, subtle plummy flavours, medium tannins, good mouth-fill and persistence. A sensational GSM blend and very well priced.
Turkey Flat 2014 Grenache
It is impossible for me to give an unbiased review of the 2014 Grenache as it is the wine that, for me, took Grenache to a new level. Made from low-yielding, 98-eight-year old bush vines, it is the pinnacle of Australian Grenache. This wine has a seductive nose of mocha chocolate, plums and berries with the intensity of a boxer’s punch; medium-bodied, with a complex palate of silky, fine tannins and spicy fruit. This is the best Grenache in Australia!
Turkey Flat 2013 Shiraz
This Shiraz is another wine from heritage vines that claim to be the oldest in the country. And, again, it is a wine assembled from individually fermented parcels to create the final vintage. It has great intensity boasting dark, brooding fruit, cassis and feral hints. It’s not easy to find another Australian Shiraz with such historic components, intense fruit and pure pleasure.
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