Yalumba

Rare & Fine The Signature

Yalumba The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz bottle image

The Signature is a celebration of wine and people – more than 50 vintages, 50 names and 50 stories – encapsulated in one historic Cabernet & Shiraz. It is with great pleasure we release our 55th iteration of Yalumba The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz – a superb 2014 vintage that honors Chris Greening.

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Wine Production

All parcels of fruit were fermented separately using wild yeasts. The wild yeast helped create richness and fine textures. The open top fermenters with a cap plunger that slowly pushes the skins into the juice for a gentle extraction of color and tannin. The grapes were first fermented by irrigating the juices over the skins followed by draining all the juice away from the skins and then flooding it back. The various skin contact management on each individual batch allowed us to make a wine with excellent depth of color, richness, texture and complexity.

Tasting Notes

This wine is medium to deep brick red in color and opens with perfumed fruits, showing pretty blue exotic florals, pomegranate and cranberry, with milk chocolate and liquorice depth. The palate is medium weighted, with a fresh tight acidity carrying through. Very stylish, very approachable and very drinkable.

Food Pairing

Char grilled rump steak or eggplant steak with all the extras.

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Wine Production

Tasting Notes

Food Pairing

Char grilled rump steak or eggplant steak with all the extras.

Brand Materials

Tech Sheet Bottle Shot Acclaim

POINTS

“This ticks all the boxes, a rock of ages in the storm of Yalumba reds coming onto the market, led by The Caley, but numerous others seeking your company. The blackcurrant and blackberry fruit are in total harmony, and the overall texture is of a high order thanks to the management of the oak, as well as that of the tannins. A standout from a vintage that had its challenges.”

James Halliday

POINTS

“This generously proportioned 2014 The Signature (Cabernet/Shiraz) retains its youthful vitality with tarry, chocolate and blackberry aromas with some aged earthy, tobacco tones starting to emerge. Bold and brooding, with a chewy, tannic frame and lashings of chocolate/blackberry flavors building to a strong, gravel infused finish. Great character and aging potential.”

POINTS

“With a shade more Cabernet Sauvignon (57%) featured from a longer, cooler vintage, this version of The Signature is entering its glory years. Matured for 21 months in 32% new French barriques and Hungarian hogsheads, with the remainder in older French, Hungarian and American barrels, this has an elegantly sculpted palate defined by savoury tannins and a proud acid line. Complex aromas and flavours of liquorice, coffee and olive make a striking combination with the rich berry compote, achieving richness and generous length without losing focus.”

POINTS

“This Barossa classic – the 56th release - honours loyalty and contribution. In a tricky vintage, it discharges its duty admirably. The 57%Cabernet stamps its authority, from the minty, inky, floral nose to the dried herb-edged dark currant and berry palate. Juicier notes of blood plum come through, with finely textured, mille feuille tannins which make for a poised, persistent finish. This spent 21 months in French, Hungarian and American barriques and hogsheads, 32% new. Polished and steadfast.”

POINTS

“The best Barossa wines are usually densely packed with flavor, and ‘The Signature’ is. Imagine a kaleidoscope of raspberry sauce, vanilla, cracked pepper, espresso, graphite, pipe tobacco, and minerals. Tasting this wine, flavors were coming so quickly, I could barely write them down fast enough. Cabernet’s structure meets shirazes’ soft center.”

Wine Speed

93+

“The 2014 The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz is juicy and fine, supple and fresh, a hallmark, as I am learning, of the 2014 vintage in the hands of Yalumba. You get notes of cassis and pomegranate molasses, tobacco, char and exotic spice. The tannins flow nicely across the palate, with cohesion and polish. A lighter-framed wine, it has plenty of dried mint and lifted spice through the finish to carry the length.”

POINTS

"Bright garnet. Cherry, cassis, pipe tobacco, cedary oak and a hint of vanilla on the highly perfumed nose, along with a smoky, spicy overtone. Fleshy red and dark fruit liqueur flavors are supported by a spine of juicy acidity and become spicier with aeration. Finishes sweet and very persistent, with harmonious tannins and lingering cherry and vanilla qualities."

POINTS

“Somehow Yalumba's 2014 The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz slipped through the cracks on release, so I'm reviewing it now for the benefit of readers who may have already purchased it—or for those lucky enough to find it still in the market. A blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon and 43% Shiraz, it shows classic Cabernet structure in its streamlined shape on the palate. Hints of cedar and vanilla accent cassis and cherry flavors, picking up hints of tobacco and perhaps a bit of mint along the way to a long, focused finish.”

POINTS

“Yalumba’s classic Barossa red blend is a complex, restrained drop right off the bat, leading with subtle notes of olives, Middle Eastern spices, dried leaves and ground pepper all wrapped around a quiet line of plum and berry fruit. There’s a silky mouthfeel bound by gentle, savory tannins with spice and plum nuances right to the finish. A fine, balanced wine set to stand the test of time.” (Cellar Selection)

POINTS

“Toasty herb, cedar and plum flavors are smooth and accessible, with polished tannins, a hint of black licorice and Earl Grey tea notes lingering on the finish, where this gains momentum as the details crescendo and the harmony among the elements really shines. Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.”

“Deep ruby-black. White pepper and liquorice – almost a brett/sticking-plaster note. Cinnamon and vanilla-mint lift with rich, minty, blackberry and blackcurrant aromatics. Spicy and full, with firm, fairly fine tannins.” ( 16.5 points out of 20 )

Jancis Robinson

Vineyard & Production Info

Vineyard name:

Multiple Vineyards

Soil composition:

Barossa Vineyards

Elevation:

300-1,500 feet

Average Vine Age:

35 years

Certifying Organizations:

ISO14001; Entwine Australia

Sustainability Certification:

EPA Acredited Sustainability Licence

Winemaking & Aging

Prefermentation Technique:

1-3 days on skins pre fermentation before wild yeast start to ferment

Varietal composition:

57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Shiraz

Fermentation container:

Stainless steel tanks

Malolactic fermentation:

Yes

Fining agent:

Vegan

Type of aging container:

Barriques and Hogsheads

Type of oak:

French, Hungarian and American

Length of aging before bottling:

21 months

Age of Aging Container:

21 months

Analytical Data

pH level:

3.5

Acidity:

6.3 g/L

Alcohol:

14 %

Residual sugar:

0.3 g/L

About the Vineyard

The majority of the Cabernet Sauvignon components were sourced in the Barossa Valley from four main vineyards as well as one vineyard in Eden Valley. The diversity of our vineyard selection provides the rich lifted Cabernet Sauvignon aromatics and palate structure that the Signature is renowned for. These blocks are of sandy loam, featuring yellow sand and ochre clays over red clay. The combination of these Barossa blocks provides the Shiraz sweetness, fullness, depth and layers of complexity.

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