Summary
A consistently mild, dry vintage with temperatures constantly in the mid-20s during January and early February led to a quick finish, with all grapes ripening together during a burst of heat. This compressed harvest was a headache for winemakers seeking storage space, but it produced big, ripe, rich flavours and wines of immense power and structure.
In 2005 there were 12,108 hectares of vineyards in Barossa and 100,518 tonnes of wine grapes were crushed in that vintage.
Highlights
Wolf Blass was appointed to the prestigious role of 2005 President of the International Wine and Spirit Competition in London, the most influential wine show in the world.
Elderton Wines was named in the influential US Wine & Spirit Magazine’s World’s Top 100 Wineries
Jacob’s Creek winery was awarded the Best of Nation Trophy for most successful exhibitor in Australian entries in the 2005 San Francisco International Wine Competition. Ten different Jacob’s Creek wines earned ten different trophies in various international and domestic wine shows, including Jacob’s Creek 2005 Steingarten Barossa Riesling winning “The Vintage Cellars Trophy for Best Dry White – Riesling” at the 2005 National Wine Show of Australia.
Yalumba was awarded the Environmental and Energy Management Award at the 10th Annual Rabobank Agribusiness Awards for Excellence 2005.
Thorn-Clarke Wines Shotfire Quartage 2004 won Gold and three trophies at the 2005 Adelaide Wine Show plus Most Outstanding Wine of the Show. It went on to win a Gold medal and Top of Class at the 2005 Australian National Wine Show. Thorn-Clarke 2003 Shotfire Shiraz was rated “18th Best Value Wine in the World” by the US Wine Spectator magazine.
Honourboard
Vigneron of the Year – Mark Bartholomaeus
Winemaker of the Year – Rolf Binder and Christa Deans
Sources
SA Wine Grape Crush Survey, Vinehealth Australia and ‘Barossa Vintages: a wine history from 1842’, Peter Fuller
