Schwarz Wine Co., Barossa Valley (South Australia) Shiraz 2020

 Jason Schwarz’s parents were grape growers.  He studied wine marketing at the University of Adelaide.  It wasn’t until he had visited and worked in Bordeaux, Burgundy, The Rhône, Stellenbosch and Napa that he realized that he really wanted to make wine.  His first wine was made from grapes purchased from his parent’s Nitschke Block vineyard, which was planted in 1968.  Today, The Schwarz Wine Co. is definitely a family endeavor.   As Jason established the Schwarz Wine Co., his brother Mark took over the Nitschke Block.  It must be interesting to observe the processing of grapes in the winery. The description on the website notes that “Pump overs, hand plunging and foot stomping was carried out as required.”  I breathed a sigh of relief when it noted “The wines were softly pressed and kept separately until final blending.”   Made from fruit sourced from fifteen growers in eight subregions of the Barossa Valley, the wine has an intense black ruby color and concentrated flavors of blackberries, black cherries, plums with notes of black pepper, and anise lifted by tangy acidity and sturdy tannins.