Heartland Wines: 'exciting flavour sensations'

South Australia: everything a wine lover needs to know

New School

A new generation is bringing energy and enthusiasm to traditional regions across South Australia - especially the Barossa Valley.

ANTHONY ROSE meets the young guns..

He's been called a 'flavour-profile nut' even a 'flavour-nazi', but all Ben Glaetzer is trying to do is avoid overripe or jammy fruit characters. "Wine must be consumable, so I do what I can to make wines that are animated, alive and soft," he says.

Since returning to the Barossa in 1998, after graduation from Roseworthy, Glaetzer has attracted critical acclaim as the young innovator at Barossa Vintners, complementing his experienced father Colin in managing the 10,000 tonne winery near Tanunda. Together, father and son produce wine for nine wine-maker shareholders, including Glaetzer Wines...

Glaetzer's own label is a logical extension of his father's involvement with the benchmark red E & E Black Pepper Shiraz. The growers who supplied those grapes remain a source of supply for the Glaetzer's Bishop, Wallace and Glaetzer wines. Glaetzer also makes the Heartland Wines from a blend of Limestone Coast and Langhorne Creek fruit, including a pioneering 2004 Dolcetto Lagrein blend, and AMON-Ra Shiraz, from low yielding Ebenezer grapes. AMON-Ra has received high praise from American critic Robert Parker, but Glaetzer's feet remain on terra Barossa. "There's a huge risk of being classed as a Parker darling," says Glaetzer, "and I'm tired of fielding calls because of Parker points...I want people to drink the wine."

OenovationA small group of South Australian wineries are experimenting with truly out-of-the-ordinary grape varieties and production techniques.

MAX ALLEN takes a walk on the wild side.

..Other South Australian wineries keeping the exciting flavour sensations happening with alternative grape varieties include: Ben Glaetzer at Heartland, with very unusual but tasty blends such as Pinot Gris and Viognier for the white and Dolcetto Lagrein for the red..For people like Glaetzer.innovation is more than just planting an obscure grape variety or introducing a 'new', trendy winemaking technique.

Heartland Dolcetto Lagrein 2004, Langhorne Creek

Super-perfumed, bouncy, mouthwatering juicy, crisp and fruity red wine. A blend that works so well, you wonder why nodiv's thought to put these two varieties in the bottle together before.