Yalumba, The Octavius - Barossa Valley 2018

Wine Advocate

96 / 100

par Erin Larkin le 24/08/2023

Coffee grounds, dark chocolate, mulberry compote and black olive tapenade lead the charge for this irrepressibly Australian Shiraz. Big bold forest berry flavors are effusive and almost gushing, held in check by the firm hand of tannic structure. Woodsy spices—sandalwood, particularly—punctuate the black cherry and salted licorice characters. This is really good, satisfying, mouthfilling, delicious. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.
96+

The Wine Independent

96 / 100

par Lisa Perrotti-Brown le 21/08/2023

The 2018 The Octavius Old Vine Shiraz comes 69% from the Eden Valley and 31% from the Barossa Valley, with the vines more than 100 years old on average. Deep garnet-purple in color, it bursts from the glass with exuberant notes of black cherries, warm plums, and fruitcake with hints of licorice, lilacs, peppered salami, and tar. The full-bodied palate offers fantastic freshness and vibrancy, with a racy backbone and velvety tannins, finishing very long and very spicy.

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

97 / 100

par Jane Anson le 10/07/2023

Waves of charred sandalwood, white pepper, sage, liqourice root, juicy black fruits and balanced acidities giving plenty of freshness and a slow burn finish. You can already see just how slowly this wine ages, as even at 5 years old it is still very much in its primary phase, with muscular tannins that are confidently keeping everything in line. The fruit sourcing also reflects the drive towards fresher expression in what was a warm vintage, with 69% Eden Valley and 31% Barossa. Expertly navigated, picked a little earlier than many in the region. First vintage on the Place for this wonderful Shiraz. Ageing in 25% Yalumba coopered American octaves, 25% new French hogsheads, 6% Hungarian hogsheads. Winemaker Kevin Glastonbury, harvest February 15 to April 10.

matthewjukes.com

19 / 20

par Matthew Jukes le 28/06/2023

It is with great joy that I can reveal that 2018 The Octavius is a stellar wine, worthy of its name,nodding to the past but striding with the utmost confidence into the future. It is heroic but not showy,dramatic but not theatrical and profound but not introverted. The fruit is tempered, and the carpentry,from whence it derives its unusual name, is entirely harmonious serving to heighten the kaleidoscopeof flavours instead of straight-jacketing them. 2018 is a triumphant vintage of The Octavius, and itseems fitting that this wine announces Yalumba’s arrival on the world stage. I do not doubt that thiswine will receive a standing ovation when a worldwide audience has the chance to taste it.
19+

Jamessuckling.com

93 / 100

par James Suckling le 13/06/2023

Old vine Barossan shiraz from a stellar vintage, boasting a lilt of damson, violet and black olive. Rich and lustrous, with a carriage of well wrought tannins directing solid length. The caveat, the eucalyptus across the finish. For some, this is a mark of Australiana. For others, such as myself, it is a drying agent. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.

The Vintage Journal

99 / 100

par Andrew Caillard MW le 17/04/2023

Medium deep crimson. Magnificent pure blackberry blackberrydark chocolatearomas with vanilla roasted chestnut notes. Beautifully concentrated and inky deep with beautifulpure dark berry fruits fine slinky animated tannins and perfectly integrated new mocha, vanillaoak. Finishes classically firm with superb mineral length. Very seductive and impressive with abeautiful scent of place. Wonderful fruit definition, purity and precision with the density andtorque for long term aging. Almost perfect symmetry. 

Decanter.com

95 / 100

par David Sly le 04/04/2023

For so long a power-packed statement that celebrates the muscle of 100-year-old Barossa Shiraz, Octavius has dialled down the aggression in a vintage that provided fine tannins to support a more supple texture. It allows its big body to glide. With 69% of the fruit sourced from higher, cooler Eden Valley sites, there are bright blueberries among the Barossa Valley's blackberry grunt, rolling around a plush, velvety mid-palate. While oak is always a feature of this wine – after all, it’s named after eight-stave French oak barrels in which it matures (with other vessels) for 21 months – winemaker Kevin Glastonbury has calmed the meld so that a soft lick of vanilla adds finesse to a lush bed of luscious purple fruits with a hint of tobacco chew.

Vinous

95 / 100

par Angus Hughson le 01/03/2023

Halliday Wine Companion

97 / 100

le 01/01/2023

Yalumba’s flagship offering is made from shiraz split across vineyards in the Barossa and Eden Valleys with an average age of 80 years. A portion is matured for 23 months in 30% new French oak barriques and hogsheads and the balance in one-year-old (and older) American octaves, French barriques and hogsheads. Deep crimson with ripe blackberry, black cherry, satsuma plum and blueberry fruits cut with baking spices, vanillin oak, cedar, licorice, dark chocolate, clove and violets.The fruit glistens on the palate, beautifully weighted and graceful in its shape, with ripe tannins melting into the wine and a shimmering acidity that provides cadence and shines a light on the pristine fruit. This will cellar beautifully, but my goodness it is lovely to drink at the moment. Another epic Octavius release.