Gibson Wines’ ‘Dirtman’ Shiraz is a Barossa Valley legend for a reason

South Australia’s climate conditions and geographic character make it the ideal region for wine production. The Barossa Valley, in particular, is famous for its lush vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and of course its iconic Shiraz.

Right in the middle of these rolling hills, the family-owned winery Gibson Wines offers one of the more popular Shiraz in the market. Good body with savoury herb, pepper, black fruits, these wines enjoy the aroma of vanilla and plum; warm and dry on the finish with a lingering cherry pip flavour toward the end. Part of what makes its signature layering so special is that the brand treats its Shiraz with good oak maturation to establish its ageing potential.

One of the winery’s most celebrated wines is ‘The Dirtman’ Shiraz, named after the so-called ‘Baron of the Barossa’ Founder Rob Gibson (a technically trained geologist, winemaker and viticulturist, in fact). At the 2022 wine competition, a 2020 ‘Dirtman’ even managed to take home a gold medal. The same competition also awarded the winery’s 2019 Gibson ‘Reserve’ Shiraz with the Gold Medal and Best Varietal in Show for the Shiraz/Syrah category.

Besting wines from Australia, France, Greece, Spain, South Africa and Portugal, the prise-winning vintage was its 14th vintage of Reserve Shiraz. It was recognised as a world-class dry red that has the richness of plum, apricot and cherry with a warm, spicy lengthier finish.

Then there’s the likes of the Bin 60 Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz, Bin 65 Barossa Shiraz and Bin 70 Barossa Shiraz, all of which are heralded as wines of great complexity when they were first released in 2021. These were the winery’s crème de la crème, so to speak. Gibson purposely held selected barrels from 2008, 2015 and 2018 vintages before being blended and bottled as the Bin Series.

“These wines are deeply personal to me. They are a bit self-styled – they carry my family crest,” the founder said at the time. “They have been given decent bottle age, which you rarely see these days. I’ve actually been a bit reluctant to release them.

He added: “This is a confluence of a wonderful milestone for me personally, but also our little gem here in the Barossa. I thought, what better time to release these special bottlings as matured expressions. In time, I’m hopeful they can be reflected upon as a small contribution to our region’s fine wine landscape. A bit of personal legacy, if I can be so indulgent now as an old bugger.”

Tastings are available at Gibson’s Light Pass Cellar Door, 190 Willows Road, Light Pass (Barossa Valley), South Australia. Visit Gibson Wines for more information.

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