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Mission Codename: We are where as we are

Operative: Agent White

Objective: Secure an exclusive allocation of a big, rich and bold Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Jenke-Vineyards

Wine Subject: 2005 Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Winemaker: Kym Jenke

Backgrounder:

South Australia’s Barossa Valley is the regions most important and oldest of wine-growing regions. Well known for its ‘pull not punches’ Shiraz, the region’s cool ocean breezes on an otherwise hot dry climate, dry limestone and clay soil and relatively flat aspect that ranges from about 800 to 2000 feet in elevation provides an ideal growing environment for Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and the other Bordeaux varietals as well as Chardonnay, Semillon and Riesling.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Extremely dark and dense purple with a deep but barely clear heart. Along the edges light passes through the wine showing garnet streaks that also color the slow fat and randomly spaced legs that ring the glass when swirled.

Smell – Rich and vibrant with redolent ripe, spiced and smokey black and red fruit including blackberry, plum, and and cassis framed by smokey and toasted oak. Classic aromas of meaty leather blend with spice, sweet tobacco, licorice and pepper along with subtle black olive notes.

Feel – Big, bold, expansive and mouth-coating with fine well developed but firm tannins that greet you upon your first sip and linger long into the finish. Lively acidity, spice and dark mineral texture adds to the chewy but not overly brash character of this robust wine.

Taste – Muscular and fruit forward flavors of spice and aromatic blackberry, cassis, black cherry and plum meld with the meaty leather, spice, dark minerals, pepper, black olive and green herbs . Smokey sweet tobacco, toasted and smokey oak are present and frame the fruit and other complex flavors.

Finish – Extremely long with this wine’s lingering deeply layered fruit fading in unison with its leather, tobacco, pepper and structured oak component.

Conclusion – If you are a fan of big, rich and robust Australian wines, then the 2005 Jenke Vineyards Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is right up your alley. True to the Barossa Valley’s style this wine is muscular with tons of concentrated fruit, a solid oak backbone, spice and other classic bold aromas and flavors. Drinking very well now (we recommend decanting to reveal all of this wine’s aromas and flavors) or cellar for 5-10 years in your cellar. Pair this with anything you can throw on the barbie, bust especially a big juicy steak.

Mission Report:

Below is our interview with the winemaker Kym Jenke and Agent Red when we featured their 2006 Shiraz.

WINEMAKER INTEL BRIEFING DOSSIER

SUBJECT: Kym Jenke

WINE EDUCATION: Oenology, Roseworthy College, South Australia

CALIFORNIA WINE JOB BRIEF: Vintages at DeMoor ( Napa Cellars 87), Stryker Sonoma ( 01/02/03)

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY: Making pure varietals from estate owned Vineyards

WINEMAKER QUOTE: “Life moves pretty fast, If you don’t stop to look around, you could miss it!” – Ferris Beuhler

FIRST COMMERCIAL WINE RELEASE: 1/6 1989: 1989 Semillon

WINEMAKER INTERVIEW

AGENT RED: Greetings, Kym. We are thrilled to be showing your 2006 Barossa Shiraz today. Thanks so much for taking some time to answer questions for our Operatives today.

KYM JENKE: Absolutely. It is my pleasure.

RED: Was there a specific experience in your life that inspired your love of wine?

KYM: Being the son of a grape grower, and 6th generation vigneron, I have grown up in the industry. But perhaps the first time I ever really thought about making wine, was my first visit to Napa in 1983.

RED: What wine or winemaker has most influenced your winemaking style?

KYM: I made my first wines at Kies Estate, under the watchful eye of Nigel Logos. After that, I made wine up at Charlie Melton’s place, and naturally these gents had some influence on my approach to winemaking. I also love what Rick Burge and Charles Melton deliver each and every year. I’m happy to consider them friends as well as peers. The one thing I wanted to do from the beginning was to make 100% varietal wines that were terrior driven and truly captured the time and place of our little spot in the Barossa.

RED: Who do you make wine for?

KYM: I’ve always made wine for myself, the way I wanted to make (and drink) them!

RED: Please tell me a little bit about the wine we are featuring today.

KYM: 2006 was a difficult vintage, as the weather was warm and it was a pretty dry year. The fruit came in at 15 bohme (27 Brix) which is a bit higher than I like, and the resultant wine ended up at nearly 16% alcohol, which is definitely higher than I like them to be… I truly believe that wine should be around 13.5 – 14.5%. However, weren’t we surprised at how well balanced the finished wine turned out, despite its higher alcohol. We thought we had a pretty good one despite the higher than normal alcohol, but I was even more surprised when the wine received and Editor’s Choice designation and a 91 points rating from Wine Enthusiast.

RED: What is your favorite pairing with today’s wine?

KYM: Leg ‘o Lamb. On the grill, lightly seasoned with salt, pepper, and stuffed with rosemary sprigs before grilling. Served medium-rare to let the flavors really explode in your mouth.

RED: In your opinion, what makes the Barossa Valley so special?

KYM: Terroir, terrior, terrior. Of course every winemaker will tell you that… But being a sixth generation Barossan, there really is nothing quite like our little piece of the world.

RED: What is occupying your time at the winery these days?

KYM: We just recently finished winter pruning, so there isn’t a great deal to do other than topping barrels. And, of course, getting out there and selling wine.

RED: How would you recommend people approach your wines and wine in general?

KYM: Wine is an experience. Every vineyard, every year, and often every bottle can be different based upon when you drink it, what you pair it with, or even what mood you’re in… I always find the best way to approach and enjoy my wines is surrounded by friends, and paired with great food.

RED: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

KYM: I have always had a love affair with the US, which dates back to my first visit in 1983 as a Foreign Exchange Student with the AFS program. On my first trip to Napa I discovered several smaller, family owned wineries making their own wine (and whole lot of big commercial wineries too) which inspired me to come home and build something for our family. 27 years later, I finally find myself with the opportunity to sell my wines in the US, and I’m proud to be able to do so. Far too many people have given up on Aussie wines, as quite frankly there are far too many commercial ventures here guilty of selling low priced wines in the US. I would like to say to your readers, don’t give up on Australia. There are still many small producers like myself, that are making wines for the ages, not the wages. Why? The reason is that it is in our blood, not in our pocketbooks, to continue to do what we love.

RED: Thank you so much for your time. We learned a lot about you – and your wine. Keep up the great work, we are big fans!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The approximate location of the Jenke-Vineyards can be seen in this satellite photo.