It is with great pleasure we present our 46th vintage release of The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz – a superb 2015 vintage that honours Darrell Kruger. We raise a glass of this wine to celebrate Darrell’s years of service, commencing in 1975 working for Yalumba in the Barossa vineyards. Darrell lives by the old saying “if you enjoy what you do, you never work a day in your life,” and over the years Darrell rose to become Barossa Vineyard Manager, a position he still holds to this day. 

The majority of the Cabernet Sauvignon components were sourced from five vineyards in the Barossa Valley, as well as one vineyard in Eden Valley. The diversity of our vineyard selection provides the rich lifted Cabernet Sauvignon aromatics and palate structure for which The Signature is renowned. The Shiraz components include plantings of varying vine age, the oldest being 1925. These blocks are of sandy loam, featuring yellow sand and ochre clay over red clay. The combination of these Barossa blocks provides 

Consistent rainfall throughout winter was followed by a warmer and drier than average spring, reducing bunch and berry size, which has produced grapes of great aromatics and flavour. The long, mild summer had few heat spikes and cool nights, which helped retain acidity and pristine fruit flavours in our Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. 

2015 produced some excellent aromatic and structured parcels of Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. All parcels of fruit were fermented separately using wild yeasts. The wild yeast contributed to the complexity of the wine, creating richness and fine textures. Various skin contact management on each individual batch, using both open top and static fermenters, allowed us to make a wine with excellent depth of colour, richness, texture and complexity.