BAROSSA BOY
CURRENT RELEASES

2023 ‘CHEEKY TILLY’ RIESLING

90 POINTS - “Pale straw with flashes of green & inviting aromas of freshly squeezed limes & grapefruit, Bickford's lime cordial, wildflowers, clover blossom, crushed stone & a whiff of fennel. Concentrated & focused with a slight dried herbal aspect to the stony acidity, leaving us with parting flavours of lime & grapefruit pith.”
Dave Brookes, HALLIDAY, Feb ‘24

2022 ‘RISK IT FOR THE BISCUIT’ SEMILLon

92 POINTS - “Pale with green flashes & aromas of citrus fruits, lemon curd, sour cream, crushed stone, shortbread, clover blossom and lighter tones of lanolin & fennel. That lanolin is on the palate as well, along with marzipan, crisp citrus fruits, fine acidity & a savoury finish of citrus and almond paste.”
Dave Brookes, HALLIDAY, May ‘24

92 POINTS - “One of Trent Burge’s (aka the Barossa Boy’s) favourite sayings is ‘Risk it for the biscuit’. This time the risk was a parcel of Barossa Valley Semillon, a variety not often celebrated or indeed, particularly well known. It paid off, showing delicate aromas of lemon blossoms, lime zest & orchard fruits – ripe, juicy apples & pears. There’s a crispy, crunchy freshness on the palate with a lovely texture akin to silky pear flesh & grapefruit pith. It may be the power of suggestion, but flavours of lemon tart (with lovely biscuity pastry) delight alongside Pink Lady apples & white strawberry. The plush fruit is supported by a fine, precise acidity. Drink with a platter of sashimi & bright, pickled vegetables.”
Nicole Bilson, WINEPILOT, Jun ‘23

92 POINTS - “The fruit is sourced from over 100-year-old vines in the Southern Barossa. A portion of this Semillon was fermented in French hogshead barrels, resulting in a balance of oak richness & fruit freshness whilst retaining its lively characters. 100% Semillon, a white grape which has become synonymous with the Hunter Valley, & it’s often found in blends with Sauvignon Blanc (in dry or sweet styles). Yet the Barossa has also embraced it, creating a style that is often richer than the Hunter’s take. The Barossa Boy version is quite ripe & aromatic, with a lovely mix of fruity (lemon, grapefruit, orange blossom, peach) and savoury shortbread characters. It’s zippy, minerally & silky, & a great example of Barossa Semillon”
Brendan Black, WINEPILOT

2021 ‘DOUBLE TROUBLE’ SHIRAZ CABERNET

🏆 TROPHY - BEST SHIRAZ CABERNET BLEND, BAROSSA WINE SHOW 2023

91 POINTS - “A blend of shiraz (75%) & cabernet sauvignon (25%), 14 months' maturation in American & French oak. Deep crimson with fruit aromas of macerated plum, blackberry & black cherry underscored with hints of clove, sage, licorice, bay leaf, dark chocolate, roast beef, oak-derived wood spice & earth. Full bodied with excellent fruit density, nutty oak, fine-grained tannin & a cassis-rich finish.”
Dave Brookes, HALLIDAY, May ‘24

2020 ‘YOUNG WISDOM’ MATARO

94 POINTS - “Fermented in small oak for 15 days prior to pressing. Wine was then returned to the same barrels for maturation over 23 months. 100% French Oak. This wine is unfined & unfiltered. Mataro has many names (Monastrell in its home of Spain; Mourvèdre in France), & it’s a variety which loves heat & is more regularly found in GSM blends than as a straight varietal – but thankfully that’s starting to change. These wines are often robust, round & alcoholic, & Trent’s version is all those things & much more. A heady burst of fruit leaps from the bottle as soon as you open it, with blackberry & mulberry leading the charge. Savoury depth comes from tomato leaf, baking spices, earth & graphite, with a little bit of age starting to come through in the form of stewed black fruits. The palate is incredibly bright & tasty, and with spicy or meat-filled dishes; the fruit bellows while the alcohol mellows, showing great balance”
Brendan Black, WINEPILOT

93 POINTS - “A wine that serves up its black & blue fruit on a platter. Juicy blood plums, inky baked blueberries & mulberry jam. There is a warm baking spice of cinnamon, ground ginger, vanilla & maple syrup, almost invoking a gingerbread cookie straight out of the oven. The palate has good structure from fine dusty tannins & lifted acidity. This is a wine with some lovely curves & suppleness to it. It’s most intriguing feature is the dry & lengthy line of flavour on the finish. Oak is well used here too. A smart looking Mataro. Drink with a spiced duck pie or a Moroccan B’stilla would be superb!”
Shanteh Wale, WINEPILOT, Jun '23

90 POINTS - “A deeply-fruited rendition of mataro. As is often the case with the variety, there is a sense of broodiness to its meaty, dark-spiced blackberry & dark plum fruits along with hints of turned earth, roasting game, clove, cedar, coal dust, dried summer berry fruits & a whiff of leather in the distance. Tight, chalky tannin architecture is on display with a thick, powerful fruit flow on the finish.”
Dave Brookes, HALLIDAY, Jul '23

2019 ‘LITTLE TACKER’ GSM

89 POINTS - “Grenache (40%), shiraz (35%) & mataro (25%) aged for 18 months in 2500L French oak foudre. Lots of plummy appeal on the nose with hints of boysenberry, spice, dried meats, licorice, earth & pressed flowers. Medium bodied & fruit-pure with fine gravelly tannins, bright acidity & just a little heat showing through on the earthy finish.”
Dave Brookes, HALLIDAY, May ‘24

2018 ‘LIFEBLOOD’ SHIRAZ

96 POINTS - “This is Trent Burge’s prestige wine, a tribute to Barossa Shiraz. In other words, his best of the best & what a vintage for it. 2018 is a brilliant year for the Barossa. Near totally opaque, there is real intensity here, concentration & power. The nose offers notes of blackcurrants, cassis, mocha, warm earth, chocolate, black olives & leather. Big & bold with seemingly endless power, but this wine is also supple & fresh. There are silky tannins too & a very long finish. Drink for fifteen to twenty years.”
Ken Gargett, WINEPILOT, Jun ‘23

94 POINTS - “Deep crimson with aromas of deep macerated satsuma plum, black cherry & blackberry fruits underlined with hints of baking spice, dark fruit-and-nut chocolate, licorice, violets, roasting meats, olive tapenade, creamy vanillin oak & earth. Thickly shouldered with considerable fruit depth & creamy oak nuance, fine, powdery tannins & a blackberry cream fruit presence on the finish. Good, velvety Barossan drinking.”
Dave Brookes, HALLIDAY, Aug ‘24

94 POINTS - “As a sixth generation Barossa winemaker, it’s no surprise that Trent Burge, the Barossa Boy, knows how to handle Shiraz. It’s the region’s signature variety, acknowledged by the name given to this wine, ‘Lifeblood’. The 2018 smells like a lavender bush in the height of spring, fragrant & enticing. There’s ripe blackberry, a hint of strawberry jam & cream (atop scones, Country Women’s Association style). There’s also a lovely spicy savoury character like the native grasses of the Aussie outback; brush & earth warmed by the sun. In the mouth it’s succulent & sensuous with black cherries, plump, ripe, plums, soft licorice coated in bittersweet dark chocolate & a black pepper spice. A youngster still, the tannins are fine but chalky & will soften further with food. Decant it to enjoy the complexity now or pop it in the cellar to experience a gentle evolution.”
Nicole Bilson, WINEPILOT, Jun ‘23

2017 ‘LIFEBLOOD’ SHIRAZ

96 POINTS - “Matured for 22 months in a combination of 70% French oak & 30% American oak. 30% new oak, 30% one-year-old & 40% two-to-five-year-old oak provides a robust yet silky tannin structure. 100% Shiraz.

If you don’t like big & bold Barossa Shiraz, then you may want to avoid this wine, yet you’ll be missing out on a wonderful experience. Pronounced aromas of cassis, cinnamon & mulberry greeted me the moment I popped the cork, & further sniffs revealed raspberry, clove, leather & dried black fruits. The tannins are powdery & chewy, clinging to your teeth & letting you know just how epic this wine is.

This is a drop that calls, nay, screams for food to tame some of its brash characters & bring out its softer, fruitier side, & I gave it an extra point to acknowledge how splendid it was with a meal. I paired it with medium-rare eye fillet, roasted vegetables, & super-crispy potatoes, & it was utterly superb, cutting through all the fat & making each mouthful a symphony of flavour. If steak isn’t your thing, any bold & spicy dish, such as a lamb casserole or roast, or even a vegetarian curry, would benefit from partnering with this sumptuous wine. This is Trent’s “love letter” to the Barossa, & it’s a mighty fine tribute.”
Brendan Black, WINEPILOT

95 POINTS - “Dark-coloured, deep & youthful. Aromas of blood plum, spice, blackberry, graphite, mocha & mulberry. Powerfully built, this all about full-on dark fruit, mouth-filling, with textured & generous tannins & just the right lick of lively acidity to keep the chunky & densely rich fruit in check. Length & mouth-feel are impressive. This has plenty to enjoy now, but will certainly benefit from some time tucked away”
Aaron Brasher, THE REAL REVIEW, Aug ‘21

94 POINTS - “As soon as the cork was removed a heady pink musk stick aroma filled the air; followed by blackberries macerated in sweet spices – star anise, cinnamon & freshly scraped vanilla pod. Black peppercorns & just a hint of freshly turned earth add some moreish savoury notes that suggest how it will evolve. The concentration on the palate is immersive, like bathing in freshly pressed fruits of the forest (c’mon, you’ve never done that?!?). Plenty of tannin & fresh strawberry acidity promise long cellaring potential, but the tannins are ripe & supple. The flavours seamlessly transition from bright raspberry, to crunchy black fruits, to licorice ice cream, to cosy leather sofa. A little more time in the glass revealed the sweet fragrance of silky marshmallows toasted on the fire before being sandwiched between layers of biscuit & dark melted chocolate. Drink it now or sometime over the next 15 years with a big tomahawk steak grilled to crunchy-fat perfection, served with thrice-cooked duck fat potatoes & a crisp fennel & celeriac slaw.”
Nicole Bilson, WINEPILOT, Jul ‘21

2023 ‘GRAND GESTURE’ LATE HARVEST SEMILLON

90 POINTS - “Light straw with aromas of baked spiced apples, apricot & glazed citrus fruits along with hints of soft spice, clotted cream, candied citrus rind, pressed wildflowers, marzipan & almond blossom. A little more spiced apple flows in on the palate, which swells with richness, sweetly making its way off into the distance with fine acidity and a raft of spiced stone fruits and apples.”
Dave Brookes, HALLIDAY, May ‘24

PREVIOUS RELEASES

2022 ‘CHEEKY TILLY’ RIESLING

91 POINTS - “Pale straw with an inviting nose of Bickford's lime cordial, lemon & grapefruit with hints of Christmas lily & orange blossom, crushed quartz, grapefruit zest, almond paste & a peek of marzipan & fennel further back. Excellent drive & focus with a crisp, dry finish that lingers with lime & light blossom notes.”
Dave Brookes, HALLIDAY, Jun ‘23

2021 ‘CHEEKY TILLY’ RIESLING

95 POINTS - “Pale straw colour, bright & lively in the glass. Lifted aromas of lime juice, bath salts, jasmine & wet slate. Fine & focused on the palate, tangy citrus, mandarin, crunchy acidity & just the right amount of grip at the end. Quite delicious.” Aaron Brasher, THE REAL REVIEW, Mar ‘22

2018 ‘LITTLE TACKER’ GSM

98 POINTS - “A lovely, lifted nose – smells like black forest cake! Good drive of aged savoury red fruit flavours on the nicely balanced palate, with upfront tannins & a lingering finish.”
Darren Harvey, WINESTATE, Apr ‘22

94 POINTS - “100% of the blend was matured in 2,500-litre French oak foudres for 20 months. 58% Grenache, 32% Shiraz, 10% Mataro. Despite no longer being a “little tacker”, Trent “enjoyed a free-range Barossa childhood”, & this wine is a reminder of his path towards becoming a winemaker on the land in which he grew up. I was mightily impressed by this wine, which has a juicy core of red & black fruits & savoury goodness providing immense complexity & lushness on the palate. Blackberry, raspberry, mulberry, rhubarb, cinnamon, chocolate, vanilla, stewed black fruits, soy, & cigar box characters show how layered this wine is, which sings when paired with food & is best consumed after a little air time.”
Brendan Black, WINEPILOT

2020 ‘DOUBLE TROUBLE’ SHIRAZ CABERNET

94 POINTS - “Matured in French & American oak for a total of 24 months. 55% Shiraz, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon. ‘Double Trouble’ references not only the classic Aussie pairing of Shiraz & Cabernet, but also Trent’s “double life” as a cricketer in England & a winemaker in the Barossa. It’s a dark & spicy drop providing a tantalising array of aromas & flavours – cassis, menthol, mulberry, nutmeg, toast, cigar box, sawdust – with a smooth & silky palate & finely integrated tannins, even at such a relatively young age. It has the strength to age gracefully for a long time to come”
Brendan Black, WINEPILOT

2017 ‘Double trouble’ shiraz cabernet

95 POINTS - “That traditional Aussie blend, Shiraz & Cabernet, is still a winner. Barossa Boy 2017 Double Trouble, at just $30, is a serious contender for best value wine of the year.
The fruit is sourced from local vineyards – the Barossa floor for the Shiraz & the Eden Valley for the Cabernet Sauvignon. The colour is an inky purple. The nose explodes with black cherries, chocolate & sweet vanillin notes. A big, bold, beautiful Barossa red. Love it & enjoy now or over the next decade.”
Ken Gargett, WINEPILOT, Feb ‘21

2019 ‘Young Wisdom’ Mataro

90 POINTS - “Aged 23 months in French oak. Subdued plummy fruit notes with hints of spice, earth, blueberry pie, licorice & French oak. These characters transpose neatly onto the palate, which is flush with spicy plum & earthy notes. Tannins are fine & sandy & there's a nice savoury shape to the finish.”
Dave Brookes, 2023 HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION