Yalumba Octavius 2020
Barossa Valley
Australia, Australia
Regular price£390.00
/
Arriving: Late 2025
Shipping duty paid to Mainland UK is charged at a flat rate of £9.99 per consignment and POA for Northern Ireland or Islands.
Shipping under bond is dependant on location, but starts at £15 per consignment.
| Style: Red | Packaging: OWC |
| ABV: 14.5% | Closure: Cork |
| Organic: | Drink from: 2020 |
| Biodynamic: | Drink to: 2035 |
| Grapes: 100% Shiraz | |
Critic scores
95 RP, 96 JS, 96 JA, 95 DC, 96 DB
Critic reviews
"The 2020 The Octavius is lighter and finer than the depth and darkness of the 2019 tasted beside it. This is an interesting development. The 2020 season was hot and low yielding, just like 2019; however, the wine displays real finesse and levity in the glass. The tannins are dusty and earthy through the finish and leave a trail of sumac, pressed flowers and exotic spice in their wake. The finish leaves a note of clove and aniseed, and the length of flavor and carriage of tannin is something really worth discussing and noting. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork. Drink 2025-2045"
Erin Larkin, July 2025, RobertParker.com
"Plush aromas of blackberries, red currants, cedar, red apple skin, citrus peel and bitter chocolate. The palate is full-bodied with a generous and powerful mouthfeel and finely grained tannins that lead to a bold, dark-fruited and savory finish. Some lovely old-vine character. It’s aged 50% in 100-liter house-coopered barrels. Drink or hold."
James Suckling, March 2025, JamesSuckling.com
"Fragrant, grippy, gentle with slow-build power, sweet crushed raspberry and tar, liqourice root, powerful and pumped up but with cooling mint leaf and safe freshness, coupled with silky tannins. 24% new French oak for ageing, grapes sourcing from 78% Barossa, 22% Eden Valley. Winemaker Kevin Glastonbury, 3.64ph, harvest February 25 to March 18."
Jane Anson, July 2025, JaneAnson.com
"Wow, a deep, heady nose full of purple flowers and ripe black fruit. Supple and alive, this is almost thick in the mouth - concentrated and intense thanks to the dry and mild-to-hot vintage conditions - although there’s a tense aspect too with acidity that drives the wine forward and keeps it all in quite a straight line. Streamlined and focussed, this has such detail to the tannins and fruit and while the flavour widen the structure is pointed and very straight. I like the sense of bite you get, the tangy edges and lovely stony, mineral, salty touch. Some iron, clove spice, cedar spice, bitter chocolate but with freshly picked strawberries. Amazing - still a little compact on the finish but great potential here and it has a mouthwatering core that is so delicious. 3.64pH. With an average vine age of 89 years, 72% of this Shiraz is sourced from the Barossa Valley and 28% from Eden Valley."
Georgina Hindle, August 2025, Decanter.com
"(Eden & Barossa Valleys; 100% old vine Shiraz; aged in 100 litre French and American oak octaves; pH 3.64; 14.5% alcohol). 72% of the fruit is from the Barossa valley, the remaining 28% from Eden Valley. Plump, plush, quite glossy and viscous with lots of extract and beautifully polished fine-grained super svelte tannins. A little hint of leather and charcuterie accompanies the dark berry and stone fruits. There’s a deeper, richer, gamier note of lièvre a la royale too – and a hint of molten candlewax. The almost sparkling purity renders the mid-palate impressively crystalline despite the considerable density. 96+."
Colin Hay, August 2025, DrinksBusiness.com
Erin Larkin, July 2025, RobertParker.com
"Plush aromas of blackberries, red currants, cedar, red apple skin, citrus peel and bitter chocolate. The palate is full-bodied with a generous and powerful mouthfeel and finely grained tannins that lead to a bold, dark-fruited and savory finish. Some lovely old-vine character. It’s aged 50% in 100-liter house-coopered barrels. Drink or hold."
James Suckling, March 2025, JamesSuckling.com
"Fragrant, grippy, gentle with slow-build power, sweet crushed raspberry and tar, liqourice root, powerful and pumped up but with cooling mint leaf and safe freshness, coupled with silky tannins. 24% new French oak for ageing, grapes sourcing from 78% Barossa, 22% Eden Valley. Winemaker Kevin Glastonbury, 3.64ph, harvest February 25 to March 18."
Jane Anson, July 2025, JaneAnson.com
"Wow, a deep, heady nose full of purple flowers and ripe black fruit. Supple and alive, this is almost thick in the mouth - concentrated and intense thanks to the dry and mild-to-hot vintage conditions - although there’s a tense aspect too with acidity that drives the wine forward and keeps it all in quite a straight line. Streamlined and focussed, this has such detail to the tannins and fruit and while the flavour widen the structure is pointed and very straight. I like the sense of bite you get, the tangy edges and lovely stony, mineral, salty touch. Some iron, clove spice, cedar spice, bitter chocolate but with freshly picked strawberries. Amazing - still a little compact on the finish but great potential here and it has a mouthwatering core that is so delicious. 3.64pH. With an average vine age of 89 years, 72% of this Shiraz is sourced from the Barossa Valley and 28% from Eden Valley."
Georgina Hindle, August 2025, Decanter.com
"(Eden & Barossa Valleys; 100% old vine Shiraz; aged in 100 litre French and American oak octaves; pH 3.64; 14.5% alcohol). 72% of the fruit is from the Barossa valley, the remaining 28% from Eden Valley. Plump, plush, quite glossy and viscous with lots of extract and beautifully polished fine-grained super svelte tannins. A little hint of leather and charcuterie accompanies the dark berry and stone fruits. There’s a deeper, richer, gamier note of lièvre a la royale too – and a hint of molten candlewax. The almost sparkling purity renders the mid-palate impressively crystalline despite the considerable density. 96+."
Colin Hay, August 2025, DrinksBusiness.com