People : Peter Lehmann

Heavy rains late in the season werea worry for vintners but in some sort of minor miracle the water managed topass directly through the parched countryside, leaving the skins of most oftougher, late ripening grapes, still on the vine intact.

I was reminded how easy it is to navigate the Barossa, whose landscape is little more than bowl-shaped andspreading out on all sides from three charming towns, Tanunda, Nuriootpa andAngaston. The Barossa reminds me a little bit of the bar in the old TV series Cheers: it's a place where "everybody knows your name." That's not a bad thing if you are a grape grower or a winemaker.

Australians are a warm people. They can poke and prod and they don't suffer fools gladly but there is a genuine warmth among the wine folk who, like most farmers, have plenty of respect forthe land and the weather, perhaps knowing it doesn't take much to turn avintage on its side.

I spent most of my time with the Peter Lehmann winemaking and viticultural team and it was refreshing to encounter a well-oiled machine as they worked through harvest. It's difficultfor the casual wine drinker to comprehend all the decisions during harvest butthey are numerous and each plays a crucial part in the final outcome of any wine.

Chief winemaker Andrew Wigan and viticulturalist Nigel Blieschke make many of those decisions. Together the pairdrives more than 5,000 km across the Barossa and Eden Valleys as they work withas many as 140 separate growers and about 700 individual vineyard blocks eachvintage.

The Peter Lehmann model dates back to his days at Saltram Winery, where he forged long-term commitments with Barossa growers to supply grapes to the winery. All went well until 1978, whenan over-supply of grapes had directors of the U.K.-based company forcing Lehmann to abandon any of the deals he had with his growers. Lehmann balked at such a callous decision and went on to borrow money, build a new winery and effectively mortgaged his future to ensure his handshake deals with Barossa growers would never be broken.

Such was the bond between grower and buyer that many of the original 60 growers including their successors, are still supplying fruit to Lehmann and it is those vineyards spread far and wide across the Barossa that Wigan and Blieschke walk religiously in the final days prior to picking.

After touring some of the winery's best vineyards with Blieschke I was amazed by the diversity of sites, soils, aspect, the altitude and perhaps more important, the people who tend the site. It soon became clear the best sites in the Barossa and the Eden are far flung across the two major valleys and the 14 sub-zones and it probably explains whyLehmann's is making wine with fruit from Stonewell, Ebenezer, Moppa, Gomersal, Rowland Flat, Greenoch, Light Pass, Lyndoch, Vine Vale, Marananga, Kalimna and more.

Peter Lehmann died last year at the age of 82 but you have the feeling his presence is still as strong as ever onthe site. Having spent a memorable lunch hour at the winery's famous weighbridge, where the growers drop off their fruit, and speaking with thewinery's team, you feel the genuine relationships they have formed with the many growers who pull up to the weigh scale many now for more than three decades.

With less than 70 acres they can call their own, the current Lehmann team knows only too well their success is keenly interwoven into the relationships they continue to nurture and strengthen with their growers. Peter Lehmann sure thought so when he was quoted saying "Wine is made in a vineyard, not a boardroom. Without growers, there is no wine. It's a circle of life you can't just cut off because of what the bottom line looks like."

Peter Lehmann Mentor Cabernet ShirazMalbec 2009, Barossa Valley, South Australia

Price      $45

Score    91/100

UPC       9311910102113

Remarks              It is said that Peter Lehmannmentored countless people over his life so The Mentor, a cabernet shiraz malbecblend is a fitting accolade to the man. The wine is built upon some special Barossa cabernet fruit supplemented by small amounts of shiraz and malbec. The cabernet is steeped in French oak and you feel the opulence. Look for vibrant cassis aromas and flavours with floral underpinnings. The texture is glossy thanks some old vines and the finish is rich and minty. You can drink it nowbut I would wait a year or five. If you must open a bottle grilled lamb is the ticket.

Peter Lehmann The Futures Shiraz2009, Barossa Valley, South Australia

Price      $30

Score    88/100

UPC       00032726001870

Remarks              Pleasant inviting blueberry, blackberry, liquorice, cedar nose with bits of chocolate mixed with light floral and cola aromas. Fresh, juicy, slightly tannic palate with coffee, menthol, chocolate, spice, white pepper flavours with vanilla, coconut and meaty notes. Good intensity and fruit but with some acidity pushing through the warm back end. Try this with lamb chops.

Peter Lehmann Layers Red 2010,Barossa Valley, South Australia

Price      $19

Score    87/100

UPC       9311910103103

Remarks              A blend of tempranillo, mourvèdre and grenache with no oak.Tobacco, black olive, spicy, savoury, meaty, chocolate, black raspberry aromas. Round, fresh, somewhat sweet palate with black raspberry jam, liquorice, tobacco, peppery, milk chocolate flavours with a very warm, tart finish. Fun and affordable.

Peter Lehmann Weighbridge Shiraz2011, South Australia

Price      $15

Score     86/100

UPC       9311910101673

Remarks              Peppery, blackberry, coffee aromas with flecks of smoke. Soft, round and easy-sipping with blueberry, blackberry, liquorice, coffee and tobacco flavours. A fun, fruity style to drink with fowl. Solid value here.

PeterLehmann Clancy's Legendary Red Shiraz - Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot 2010

Price      $20

Score     86/100

UPC       9311910102069

Remarks              Aromatic coffee bean, tobacco, green olive, peppery nose with a menthol undercurrent. The entry is round, smooth and the style is easy-sipping. Look for a spicy, herbal, coffee,candied cherry, peppery, olive flavoured red you can serve with burgers or pizza to best effect.

Peter Lehmann Wigan Riesling 2008,Eden Valley, South Australia, Australia

Price      $35

Score     95/100

UPC       N/A

Remarks              Shallow rocky soils in the cool Eden Valley provide the backdrop for this highly decorated wine named 'Bes tRiesling in the World' by International Wine and Sprit Competition six times since 1991. The 'Wigan' is released as a five year old wine hitting the shelves with a rich, aged character.The 2008 is the best yet accordingto Andrew Wigan who thinks it has the tools to become a sensational bottle ofEden Valley riesling. The nose is a wash in juicy lime aromas with hints of buttered toast. The palate is pure riesling with those electric Riesling flavours and zesty minerality. With power, finesse and style it will only get better for the next decade or two. Wigan comes off a single vineyard owned by theStanton family near Craneford in the southern Eden Valley.