We’re absolutely thrilled with results from the Barossa Wine Show 2018. Ron has outdone himself picking up a Trophy for Museum Fortified for the second year in a row. Rare Tawny was crowned Best Museum Red Fortified. Last year saw Rare Semillon get a similar honour in the Best Museum White Fortified Class.
All entries from around the Barossa region were such high calibre, we’re proud to be among the same company. Congratulations to all other medal and trophy winners.
Other Liebichwein medal winners:
Rare Frontignac = SILVER (yet to be released)
2018 Vintage Fortified Petit Verdot (baby VP – yet to be released) = BRONZE
The Liebich family have been passionate about wine in the Barossa Valley for almost 100 years. This is a brief look at what was happening around Australia and the Barossa region when Ron and Janet first established the Liebichwein label 25 years ago. Ron is the third generation winemaker to be based in Rowland Flat, South Australia and he’s preparing for his 49th Barossa vintage at age 71.
1992
What happened in Australia in 1992?
Artists in the Top 10 Australian music charts included Billy Ray Cyrus, Guns ?n Roses and Whitney Houston
Average petrol price was 68 c/L
The cost of a postage stamp was increased from 43 cents to 45 cents
The Australian 1 and 2 cent coins were withdrawn from circulation
The Prime minister was Paul Keating
The first WOMADelaide music festival?was held at Botanic Park as part of the Adelaide Festival of Arts
The Cricket World Cup was held in Australia and New Zealand where Pakistan?defeated England?in the final at the MCG by 22 runs
The AFL grand final was won by West Coast Eagles, the first non-Victorian team to win
There were about 700 wineries in Australia, now there are well over 2500 (over 150 in the Barossa region)
What happened in Barossa Valley in 1992?
The estimated population of the Barossa Valley council area was 18,000 (now 24,500)
A mixed vintage for wine quality since the warmer regions like the Barossa didn?t receive the heat normally required to deliver the typically concentrated and rich reds wines.
The?Barossa Valley railway line?past Penrice junction was officially declared closed, 18 year later the track between Angaston and Nuriootpa was lifted and a shared path for bikes and pedestrians was put in place
The winery shed was built in Rowland Flat where Liebichwein cellar door still is today
Liebichwein Cellar Door opened in December 1992 operating on weekends only
Steingarten Road in Rowland Flat was known as Narrow Road
Ron was reigning grape treading champion of the Barossa Vintage Festival
The first range of Liebich table wines: 1992 Cabernet Sauvignon, 1993 Shiraz, 1992 Riesling of the Valleys (Barossa fruit grown by Ron blended with some Clare Valley Riesling grapes)
The first Liebich fortified wines: Classic Old Barossa Tawny, Benno Port, Ron’s Blend, Keg Blend
Tending the fruit for Ron’s first Riesling Traminer blend dedicated to his dear mother Lorna as it was her favourite style to drink (trophy winner in 1993 for best sweet white at the Barossa Wine Show)
Ron started planting Merlot, Grenache and Semillon vineyards to complement the older Shiraz and Cabernet in the?40 acre block inherited from older generations
We hosted some very special tastings at cellar door during the 2017 Barossa Vintage Festival in April.
Over our 25 years of business, Ron has been carefully stashing away a few cases of each vintage ever produced of our premium red wine range. What a treat it was for us to taste our museum stocks to see how they were travelling. Overall, they are all aging well and the following vintages were selected based on their greater intensity and developed varietal characters.
Winemaker Ron Liebich’s Comments:
The Darkie Shiraz
Vintage 1999 – A relatively cooler year produced a wine with everything you’d expect for Barossa Shiraz. This wine still show great depth of colour, fruit intensity and complexity. Developed fruitcake spice, smoky oak and lovely pepper hints carry through to smooth long palate.
Vintage 2001 – A great quality season helped the wines make themselves in the vineyard. A concentrated and full bodied Shiraz with magnificent mouth feel. Tight tannins still grip a little, but are nicely balanced with subtle woody notes and cherry jam sweetness. Beautiful development under cork. 2001 is holding up better than the 2000?s. Still has a few years to live.
The Lofty Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage 1998 – A superb quality season. This Cab still shows great depth of colour, fruit intensity and complexity. Palate is spot on with acidity and drying tannins contributing to a tightly structured, persistent palate. Drinking well now.
Vintage 2001 – A concentrated Cabernet with super fine tannins and a lack of any aggressive oak characters. The trademark style of Liebichwein Cabernet still comes through with ripe blackberries and intense floral violet notes. Palate is still fresh and amazingly long. Still has a few years to live.
Don’t miss this chance to taste rare wines from our personal cellar!
We’re holding special tastings at cellar door during the Barossa Vintage Festival. This festival has been running for 70 years and in 2017 we are celebrating the 25th vintage for Liebichwein.
Select vintages from 1999 through to 2008 will be open every day for wine tasting flights.
Retrospective Reds include The Darkie Shiraz, The Lofty Cabernet Sauvignon and Potter’s Merlot.
Forgotten Fortifieds include single varietal blends, some over 20 years old.
Wednesday 19th to Sunday 23rd April 2017 between 11am-5pm.
In the depths of winter in Barossa Valley. It’s always cold and wet, but it usually never snows. On 12th July 2016 a sudden hail storm passed through Rowland Flat and surrounding towns leaving snow-like trails. This was nothing compared to the hail that fell exactly four years ago to the day in a bizarre coincidence. The freak hail storm in 2012 only affected a very narrow band of the Barossa Ranges including our property on Steingarten Road, Rowland Flat. It hailed so much in 2012, it really did look like snow!
We’re absolutely thrilled with results from the Barossa Wine Show 2018. Ron has outdone himself picking up a Trophy for Museum Fortified for the second year in a row. Rare Tawny was crowned Best Museum Red Fortified. Last year saw Rare Semillon get a similar honour in the Best Museum White Fortified Class.
