2020 Blacksmith Cabernet Sauvignon

Story Behind The Wine

In 1842 a 32-year-old Blacksmith, Christian Auricht, arrived from Prussia with his wife and four children. He settled in the new village of Langmeil and established a forge in what was to become a thriving trading post. His original smithy remains to this day and is a feature of the winery’s heritage setting. 

The Winery

Langmeil Winery respectfully acknowledges the Kaurna, Ngadjuri and Peramangk people, past, present and future, the traditional custodians of the land on which we grow and make our wines. The Lindner family of Langmeil Winery has been immersed in the Barossa’s culture of farming, food, wine and community for six generations. Their commitment to quality in all aspects is unwavering and any wine that bears the Langmeil name represents the family’s pursuit of excellence in wine and community.

Wine Maker's Notes 2020 Vintage Report 

2020 was the smallest vintage in fifty years due to one of the driest growing seasons on record, with spring frosts followed by hot and windy conditions at flowering. The heat continued in December and January with a cooler than average February when the reduced crop ripened quickly. The compressed vintage produced juice of great colour, concentration and flavour, making it a year for rich and fullbodied wines. 

Colour: Medium to deep crimson with purple hues. 

Aroma: A rich and lifted nose of blueberry, blackcurrant and black olive, with a hint of cedar, liquorice and sweet spices adding to the complexity. 

Palate: Bright and rich berry fruits coat the palate and combine with brambly spice, hints of black olive and liquorice. Medium to full-bodied with velvety, fine-grained tannins adding to the structure which flows through the long, fruity and spicy finish. 

Cellaring: 2022-2032

 Food match: Mushroom risotto; braised beef ribs or beef cheeks; duck; hard cheeses.

GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION: Barossa Valley 

GRAPE COMPOSITION: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon 

OAK TREATMENT: 20% new French oak and 80% seasoned French oak 

TIME IN OAK: Twenty-six months 

VINE AGE: 15 to 59 year-old vines 

SUBREGIONAL SOURCE: 86% Barossa Valley and 14% Eden Valley 

YIELD PER ACRE: 1 to 2 tonnes per acre 

TRELLISING Single: Mostly single and double permanent arm 

SOIL TYPE: Biscay (black cracking clay) to red clay over limestone 

HARVEST DETAILS: 5 March to 25 March 

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS Alcohol: 14.5% pH: 3.43 TA: 6.5 g/L Residual Sugar: 2.44 g/L VA: 0.56 g/L 

About Langmeil

Langmeil is a blend of Barossa’s cultural beginnings and a family’s modern day commitment to world-class, old vine winemaking. Once a trading village established in 1842, this remarkable place is a captivating pocket of Australia’s wine and vine history that is a must when visiting the Barossa. Owned by the Lindner family, whose own mark on the Barossa spans six-generations of farming, food, community and wine, Langmeil is renowned for its preservation of old vines and the making of distinguished wines from these cherished sites.

Biodiversity thrives amongst their dry grown vines to ensure each site is in balance with nature. Allowing such harmony with the natural environment is a responsibility they take seriously as custodians of the land. Resurrecting Barossa’s old vines is also an undertaking they continue to take in their stride since acquiring the notable, yet derelict, Langmeil property and its vines in 1996. These vineyards, along with other family-owned sites in the cooler Eden Valley and southern grounds of Lyndoch are the foundation to all the wines bearing the Langmeil name.

In the winery, Chief Winemaker, Paul Lindner, draws on both old world and new world techniques while practicing both minimal filtration and human intervention to ensure the grape’s full potential is captured. These techniques help capture the special characteristics of each variety and the subtleties derived from the distinctive microclimates of our region to create fruit-driven wines with subtle complexity.

Women Wine Leaders

Richard Lindner (now deceased) and his wife Shirley Della-Mina with sons Paul and James Lindner, purchased the winery in 1996 and are the current custodians of Langmeil Winery. Both Richard and Shirley’s family trees are dotted with generations of grape growers, farmers and butchers. While the grape growing families mainly grew grapes to appease a thirst for homemade wine and grappa (and to keep the neighbours happy!), grapes and the local wines were integral to life while pursuing their primary passions of farming and food.