Rising above a year of hard knocks in the Barossa

When Barossa-based winemaker and co-owner of Ben Murray Wines Dan Eggleton pondered his options ahead of the region’s 2025 vintage, he couldn’t ignore the harsh slap of reality.

“After 2024 I was honouring contracts and then watched businesses in the retail and hospitality sector in Melbourne and Sydney go under, leaving that with an oversupply of stock,” he says. “Then we got frost in September.”

Add a drought and a nation’s economic woes and the equation looked grim. So, Dan made a gut-wrenching decision. “In October, I called a meeting with my business partners and said, ‘I can't justifiably make wine in ’25’.”

It wasn’t just an environmental decision. It was a moral dilemma.

Dan Eggleton, Ben Murray Wines.

“Yes, a lot of our crop was eliminated and yes, a lot of our growers had suffered but we also had to make a conscious decision in saying: ‘Are we going to crush grapes for the sake of it? Are we going to keep pushing crap into a pipeline that's already full of crap?’”

Dan grew up in a grape growing family and has more than 30 years of industry experience behind him, from corporate to running his own wine business, as well as consulting and supply. His conscience simply screamed “No”.

“How can you consciously process fruit while also protesting the oversupply?” he asks. “And the fact that a mega winery has been built by a supermarket on the Barossa Valley floor when the industry knows we've got a 30 per cent oversupply? We shoot ourselves in the foot by having a $12.99 Barossa shiraz next to my beautiful, handmade $50 bottle on a shelf, and the punter knows no different.”

Now, more than ever, it’s important to support ethical businesses and while you won’t find 2025 Ben Murray Wines on the shelf, the 2024 Ben Murray Wines Rosé is singing – and just $26 a bottle. “The blend of sagrantino, graciano, lagrein and primitivo is awesome,” says Dan.

Ben Glaetzer, Glaetzer Wines.

Meanwhile, at Glaetzer Wines, multi-generational vigneron Ben Glaetzer believes the 2025 vintage has potential for those who tackled it thoughtfully, channelled the benefits of experience, and had courage in their convictions.

“So many winemakers in South Australia were led by analysis rather than flavour,” he says. “That’s easy to do if you colour by numbers. The wines made that way are simple, vegetal, one dimensional and raw. I’ve seen a lot of them.”

Like Dan, Ben isn’t one to mince words.

“The flavour development over the last couple of weeks has been awesome and inspiring despite the heat. Balance is my key and that’s what we’re getting by pushing the boundaries with confidence in flavour development and ignoring the sugar rush. Sure, we have higher than usual baumés, but we also have the backbone and structure to carry it all.”

Daniel Chaffey Hartwig, Chaffey Bros Wine Co.

At Chaffey Bros Wine Co. the team rolled with the punches.

“We’ve had a great vintage, despite the challenges, and can certainly see some clear highlights,” says co-owner Daniel Chaffey Hartwig. “We probably went into vintage with low expectations after the extensive spring frosts and the very dry season, but we have been pleasantly surprised on a number of fronts by the quality of this harvest, with Barossa old vine grenache and Eden Valley riesling proving clear highlights.”

The early season was a blessing for their two Eden Valley riesling vineyards, with the handpicked Fechner vineyard ripening early enough to bring in fruit before the mini heatwave later in February.

“The clear standout this vintage would have to be our old vine grenache vineyards which seemed to revel in the warm conditions and provided the best grenache harvest we have seen for years, proving that it’s the ideal variety for sustainability and drought tolerance.”

John and Belinda Hughes, with Mark Thomas (centre).

At Rieslingfreak, winemakers John and Belinda Hughes weathered Eden Valley’s riesling rollercoaster.

“Vintage 2025 has definitely been one full of challenges,” Belinda says. “The catastrophic frost in September 2024 impacted much of the Barossa and decimated many vineyards across Eden Valley. While the vines recovered remarkably well, the crops were significantly reduced – by as much as 50 to 70 per cent in many areas.

“The lack of rainfall in the growing and ripening season created additional challenges, with the lack of water security in the region being a primary concern for growers as the season progressed.”

Hot, dry conditions over summer had many growers and winemakers on tenterhooks as dams rapidly ran dry, but as the fruit approached ripeness, spectacular quality emerged.

“The complete absence of any disease pressure is a rare thing in Eden Valley, but this is where the hot and dry conditions worked in our favour,” Belinda says.

“The smaller crops reduced the heat and water stress on the vines, and the sparse bunches were well protected by comparatively dense canopies. The density of flavour, purity of aromatics and balance of acidity in the fruit this year is genuinely exceptional, and we are extremely excited to see how the wines turn out post-fermentation.”

Nothing in life is consistent. Nor should it be. Challenging vintages come and go, and it’s all the more reason to make considered purchasing decisions and support family-owned and operated businesses.

“We are the light, the colour and the shade,” Dan says. “The reason this industry exists is because of the blood, sweat and tears of the founders and the people who came before us who started with nothing.”

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