Massena

Established in 2000 Massena was begun by Dan Standish and Jaysen Collins who until 2006 were employed full time at other Barossa wineries (Dan as winemaker at Torbreck and Jaysen as general manager at Turket Flat). All Massena wines are from 100% Eden Valley and Barossa valley fruit from dry-farmed, low yielding vines up to 155 years age located in the north-western Barossa. Working mostly with traditional Barossa varieties, they have also established experimental vineyards of other varieties like Roussanne, Viognier, Barbera, Primitivo, Dolcetto, Tinta Amarela, Graciano, Saperavi and Tannat.

Wines are made using traditional techniques such as open fermentation and basket pressing and are aged in tank or seasoned French oak; no American oak is used here for maturation. All varieties are hand harvested and fermented using indigenous yeasts and wines from each vineyard are raised and kept separate until final blending. These are wines of striking purity and natural intensity that reflect their origins and which offer outstanding value.

WINE NOTES AND REVIEWS

MASSENA CLASSIC

2022 The Surly Muse 
Made from 100% Viognier in 2022. Each year we take a parcel of Viognier from a South facing vineyard in the Gomersal sub-region. The red iron ridge soils are harsh and the area is dry so we pick it early to preserve the natural acidity. Cold fermentation in stainless steel tanks and ageing ‘surlie’ (on lees) in French oak barriques, we then bottle the wine unfiltered and release almost immediately. Whole bunch pressed, no cultured yeast added, aged in a mix of stainless steel and seasoned French Oak hogsheads for 7 months before bottling in October 2022.
Light and cloudy in colour with enticing aromas of tropical and stone fruit. Flavours of nectarine, passionfruit and lychee dominate with subtle hints of spice from partial oak maturation. Jaysen Collins, Winemaker.

2022 The Moonlight Run
Shiraz 42%, Mataro 30%, Grenache 28%, from Greenock, Lyndoch, Koonunga Hill and Tanunda. The 2022 vintage gave some light and fragrant wines, allowing our first Shiraz dominant Barossa blend. Shiraz from the clay and limestone of Greenock, coupled with some red berried Shiraz from Tanunda provides a svelte and linear component to this Rhone styled blend. Mataro from dry grown vines on the red clay soils of Koonunga Hill, fermented with 30% whole cluster inclusion, adds the tannin backbone. Old vine Grenache from the Western ridge behind Lyndoch, where the clay soils are dense, is fermented with 50% whole bunches included. This complex Grenache fruit adds red berry and smoked meat flavours as the of this blend. Daily pump overs early in ferment, followed by punching down as the ferment finishes, ensure gentle and controlled extraction. Aged in seasoned French Oak Puncheons, each parcel is selected and blended just before bottling in December 2024.
Red/purple in colour, with amaro and savoury whole bunch complexities on the nose with panforte, orange rind and smoked meat aromatics. Coffee liqueur, roasted cumin and coriander with red berry flavours abound on a bright and linear palate. Complex and interesting, this wine finishes dry and spicy making it an ideal gastronomic wine.

2022 The Eleventh Hour
(100% Shiraz) Shiraz for The Eleventh Hour is sourced from vineyards located in the Greenock, Koonunga Hill, Tanunda and Marananga sub regions of the Barossa. The red clay belt of the Western Ridge running through Greenock creates an ideal environment to grow shiraz. Fruit from this region is juicy, spicy and concentrated. Marananga and Tanunda has deeper red brown soils giving lifted red fruit aromatics and black olive characters, with the red clays of Koonunga giving power and intensity ,with a firm tannin line. Harvesting takes place in the cool of the morning with the fruit destemmed without crushing. We ferment each parcel in separate batches in open fermenters before basket pressing and ageing in seasoned oak. The wine was moved to tank in individual components for several months before blending and bottling without fining or filtration in December 2024.
The 2022 has a complex bouquet of vanilla pod, blueberry and dark plum with hints of roasted hazelnut, black pepper, star anise and black pepper. The svelte palate has fresh acidity keeping the fruit bright, with fresh roasted coffee and blackcurrant fruit flavours supported. Jaysen Collins, Winemaker.

2020 Verto Shiraz RRP $100
(100% Shiraz) A selection of Old Vine Shiraz vineyards across the Eden and Barossa Valleys, blended together to create a wine of density and intensity. Open fermented and matured in a combination of ceramic egg and new and seasoned French Oak casks, this is a combination of exceptional vineyards and minimal intervention in the winery.
The Eden Valley was once a part of an ancient sea bed, the thin loam soils sit above a substrate of red clay containing rose quartz and black mica schist fragments. In the heat of summer, cool breezes and low night temperatures promote long, slow ripening of fruit resulting in complex flavours with balanced acidity and fine, silky tannin. The dense red clays of the North West of the Barossa give tiny berries, thick skins and natural tannins, making a combination of these regions a perfect balancing act.
The vineyards are hand harvested in the cool of the morning and left to slowly commence fermentation under a layer of inert gas. Some stalks and whole berries are combined in the ferment, with daily plunging by hand over the course of several weeks. After draining the free run, the skins are gently transferred to a basket press and pressed slowly overnight. Select parcels are transferred to ceramic eggs to give the natural lees stirring to develop palate structure and breath. Other parcels are aged in a mix of 225L and 500L new and seasoned French Oak barrels for 20 months. The wine is then racked to tank and bottled without fining or filtration.'

Review for 2019 ‘The 2019 Verto Shiraz is a super impressive wine. With density, blood and root vegetables (roast beetroot and the like), this has lashings of licorice strap, fresh leather, aniseed, cocoa powder and Christmas cake spice. The intensity of the 2019 season is on show, and its important to really lean into this wine, let it absorb you, because there is an infiniate amount of folds and layers here to experience. The tannins are velvety and plush but not overblown. Its even a little savoury. Fermented and matured in a combination of ceramic egg and French oak of varying sizes. Balance 101.' 97 points, Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate, September 2022.

MASSENA SINGLE VINEYARD WINES

2020 Seppeltsfield Grenache
Barossa sub-region Seppeltsfield sits on the Western ridge of the Barossa, with a mix of red clays and shattered limestone. Old vine Grenache has thrived here for centuries, with the perfect balance of fruit density and structure being the hallmark. The wine is unrefined and unfiltered.
Destemmed into stainless open fermenters and pumped over twice daily for 10 days. Aged in seasoned 600L thick stave French Oak casks for 20 months, such that ageing is slower and less oxidative.
Notes of raspberry and cranberry immediately on the nose with hints of violet. Sweet fruit on the palate with grippy tannins and smooth texture. Taste plums, wild berries and cherry.

2021 Greenock Shiraz
Barossa sub-region Greenock has rich red clays over limestone, which restricts vigour and gives a smaller berry size. This results in wines with power and structure with a balancing energy from the limestone substrate. The wine is unrefined and unfiltered.
Destemmed and fermented in wooden fermenters with plunging twice daily, then lids are put on the ferments and held on skins for a further 4 weeks to build tannin structure. Basket pressed direct to barrel and aged on lees in a mix of a new french oak puncheon as well as seasoned barriques for 20 months, the final blend being 25% new oak.
Strong aroma right off the bat with notes of dark plum and perfumed violets. Palate delivers notes of liquorice, clove and toasty oak. Long finish with a lasting taste.