Yalumba, 'The Signature' Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz, 2022
Yalumba, 'The Signature' Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz, 2022
- 75cl
- 14.5%
- Red Still
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz
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Optimal drinking window: Now - 2050
Yalumba's 'The Signature' has been one of Australia's most distinguished reds since 1962, and the 2022 is a fine continuation of that tradition. A blend of Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, it draws on the family's oldest vineyards to deliver something with genuine weight and composure — dark-fruited, spiced, and built to age but approachable right now with a bit of air. This is the Barossa at its most considered: ripe without being overblown, structured without austerity.
We think the 2022 sits beautifully in the range's history — a warm vintage that has gifted the wine plush, generous fruit without sacrificing the grippy backbone that makes cellaring worthwhile. Drink it from 2026 if you're keen, or hold until 2035 and let it find its full stride.
What the critics say:
"The 2022 The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz is so pretty—floral, red fruited and fine. This is a beautiful iteration of this wine. Ironically, there's a coastal freshness about it—kelp, brine, crushed shells—given it is nowhere near the coast. It's capacious and mineral and so fresh. The tannins are fine and neat, and the wine has incredible focus and line through the long finish. It's very impressive, potentially one of my favorite releases of this wine to date. It has wholly Barossa fruit this vintage. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork."
"This beautifully composed 2022 The Signature delivers excellent fruit definition and youthful complexity, opening up with blackberry, blackcurrant and new leather lined with dried mint, buttressed by impressive oak. It has great overall shape with firm, structural tannins and compact yet powerful layers of flavors balanced and holding true over a finish of exceptional length. "
Tasting Notes
AppearanceDeep, inky ruby with a dense core and a faint purple tinge at the rim.
NoseDark plum and blackcurrant lead, backed by warm earth, dried herbs, and a dusting of baking spice — clove and black pepper — from the Shiraz component. There is a subtle cedary oak presence that frames rather than dominates, with just a suggestion of dried leather and dried blackberry as it opens.
PalateFull-bodied but not heavy, with the Cabernet providing firm, fine-grained tannins that give shape to the Shiraz's plush, generous fruit. Blackcurrant, dark cherry, and a ribbon of warm spice run through the mid-palate, with good natural acidity keeping everything honest and fresh. The oak integration is judicious — you sense it rather than taste it.
FinishLong, savoury, and slightly grippy, with a dusty tannin echo and a last note of dark berry and dried sage that lingers well.
Overall impressionA wine that knows exactly what it is and makes no apologies — structured, dark-fruited Barossa with the pedigree and patience to reward proper cellaring.
Food Pairings
In the Barossa, this kind of wine is made for the table rather than the tasting room. Think slow-roasted lamb shoulder with garlic and rosemary, or a thick cut of beef on the braai with nothing but salt and fire. South Australian cheesemakers like Section28 produce aged hard cheeses that love the tannin structure here. Kangaroo fillet with native pepperberry is a more adventurous local pairing that works brilliantly with the wine's spiced, earthy edge. At the very least, put something charred and fatty next to it — this is not a wine for a light salad.
We think this wine would go well with
Serve at around 17-18°C — too cold and the tannins clamp down, too warm and the alcohol starts to feel heavy. Decanting is worth it: give it at least 45 minutes to an hour in a wide-bottomed decanter, which allows the dark fruit to open and the oak to settle into the background. A large Bordeaux-style glass suits the wine's structure and gives enough surface area to let the nose develop properly.
The Barossa Valley floor, where much of the Cabernet and Shiraz for The Signature is sourced, offers deep alluvial and clay-loam soils that retain moisture and encourage slow, even ripening. Old vines — some over a century old — send roots deep into these soils, producing fruit with concentration and character that younger plantings simply cannot replicate. The Valley's hot, dry summers are moderated by cool nights, giving tannin structure to go alongside the richness. Elevation and aspect vary across Yalumba's holdings, but the through-line is always density of flavour married to natural acidity.
The Barossa Valley is one of Australia's most storied wine regions, situated about an hour north of Adelaide in South Australia. Unlike the cooler Eden Valley up in the hills, the Valley floor runs warm and dry, producing powerful, full-bodied reds with the Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon that made Australian wine famous internationally. There are no strict blending rules in the way Bordeaux or Burgundy operate — producers have freedom to blend as they see fit — but the region's identity is tied to old vines and intensely flavoured fruit. Barossa sits alongside McLaren Vale as Australia's heartland for structured, age-worthy red wine.
The 2022 Barossa tells a tale of two seasons. Winter delivered proper rainfall after years of drought stress, filling dam levels and giving vines the deep drink they desperately needed. Spring started promisingly until La Niña brought weeks of persistent rain that had growers nervously watching for disease pressure and dilution. Then summer turned the script entirely—extended dry conditions with several heat spikes pushed harvest dates later than expected, concentrating flavours but demanding careful canopy management to prevent burning.
What emerged was a vintage of surprising restraint for the Barossa, with Shiraz showing more savoury spice than the usual fruit-forward power, and Grenache displaying lovely perfume without the jammy weight we sometimes see. The reds have structure and freshness that suggests they'll age gracefully, though the best bottles are already drinking beautifully if you fancy them young. Riesling and Semillon from the Eden Valley performed particularly well, capturing bright acidity from those cooler nights. We'd celllar the serious reds until 2026, but honestly, they're rather good company right now.
FAQs
What does The Signature taste like?
Dark and full-bodied, with blackcurrant, dark plum, warm earth, and baking spice from the Shiraz element. The Cabernet gives firm, fine-grained tannins and a long, savoury finish. It is rich without being jammy, and structured without being austere.
When is the best time to drink the 2022?
It is approachable now, particularly with an hour's decanting, but it will genuinely reward patience. We think the sweet spot is somewhere between 2030 and 2045, when the tannins have softened and secondary complexity has had time to emerge.
What food works well with this wine?
Slow-roasted lamb, aged hard cheeses, or anything that has spent time over fire. The tannins need fat and protein to show their best. It is a wine for proper cooking, not nibbles.
Should I decant it?
Yes, absolutely. At least 45 minutes to an hour in a wide decanter. The wine is not shy, but it does need air to open up fully and let the fruit step forward from behind the oak and tannin structure.
Is The Signature worth cellaring?
Very much so. This is one of Australia's longest-running premium red blends for good reason — it has the structure and concentration to develop over decades.
What makes The Signature different from other Barossa reds?
The blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz is less common than straight Shiraz from the region, and it gives the wine a more angular, structured character than most Barossa reds. Yalumba also draws on some of its oldest estate fruit, which adds a depth and complexity that younger vines simply cannot produce. It has been made since 1962 — that kind of track record matters.
OUR GROWERS
Yalumba
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