Quintessentially South Australian and acclaimed around the globe, Wolf Blass has long established itself as a household name amongst wine connoisseurs as well as movers and shakers alike. In fact, the cult winery which started out from the Barossa Valley in 1966 has now set multiple benchmarks as one of the world’s most awarded wine brands to date.
The question is, what makes its lineup of stellar wines so distinct? We recently heard from the brand’s Chief Winemaker himself – Chris Hatcher – during am exclusive luncheon held at the Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur.
Humble beginnings
The man – Wolfgang Franz Otto Blass – whose name is proudly etched on every bottle of the brand’s high-scoring wines is originally German and established the brand Wolf Blass Wines in 1966 after the first Wolf Blass Yellow Label was unveiled. The wine empire he had built is now wholly owned by Treasury Wine Estates though he is still very much involved with the brand.
Unmatched blending expertise
While fruit sourcing, fermentation and maturation are integral for winemaking, Wolf Blass has always had a focus on blending, either across multiple varieties and or grapes hailing from numerous regions. Though an uncommon concept which was once been heavily denounced, the man himself persisted and then went on to dominate the sales charts and wine shows.
By carefully allowing many diverse components to tango, Wolf Blass proudly showcases amalgamated elegance that punctures through each individual element with every sip, thus delivering vibrant flavour profiles with a soft, rounded palate and well integrated tannins, brimming with character and richness. This signature Wolf Blass winemaking style still stands until today.
Endless accolades
Wolf Blass’ exceptional portfolio of wines has impressively garnered over 10,000 awards to date. For starters, the brand’s iconic red blend made with the highest quality grapes in each vintage, the Black Label Cabernet Shiraz Malbec 2012, bagged the highly coveted Jimmy Watson Trophy four times in 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1996 for its pronounced complexity and fruit-forward structure.
Its unprecedented scores based on the 100-point benchmark, too, reflect the superior caliber of the brand’s wines. This comprises the Black Label Cabernet Shiraz Malbec which boasts 94 points from Decanter Magazine, the Grey Label Langhorne Creek Cabernet Shiraz 2014 with 92 points from wine critic James Suckling, and the Gold Label Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 with 92 points in the 2019 Halliday Wine Companion and 91 points by Suckling.
It’s no easy feat to be named the prestigious Red Winemaker of the Year with the growing competition from innovative rival wineries, and yet Wolf Blass victoriously secured the title at the International Wine Challenge in London in 2016, summing up a three-time win for this recognition, having previously been awarded with the distinguished honour in 2008 and then again in 2013.
Wolf Blass wines are sold within Malaysia at Jason Food Hall, Mercato, Cold Storage, Aeon, Aeon MaxValue, Jaya Grocer, Truly Wine, Urban Fresh and Hero & Oliver Gourmet.
