“Love is an emotion that can be felt for an eternity. Gold is just material.”
This is the first phrase that appears when accessing the website of the Australian winery Barr-Eden Estate. The website address for Barr-Eden Estate is 'love over gold.' This is the name of their premium wine brand.
Barr-Eden Estate was established in a region developed for gold mining. Despite being able to amass great wealth from gold mining, they chose to abandon it to cultivate grapes. This shows the winery's philosophy of pursuing nature over material and love over money.
Pierre-Henri Morel, the owner of Barr-Eden Estate, held a meeting on the 28th of last month at the Fairmont Ambassador Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, where he noted, “We only have eight partners worldwide,” and added, “We believe it's better to operate the brand ideally since we pursue extreme elegance that captures nature as it is. We prefer not to expose ourselves excessively in the market.”
This does not align with mass production. For example, the 2021 vintage of Love Over Gold Grenache was limited to 700 bottles. Of these, 100 bottles were imported to Korea through Keumyang International. Morel said, “2021 was a perfect year, so we could produce up to 700 bottles, but this year, we have only produced 300 bottles as there was hardly any rain.”
Barr-Eden Estate spans the renowned Shiraz regions of Barossa Valley and Eden Valley in Australia. In particular, Menglers Hill, where Love Over Gold is produced, is located at an elevation of 545 meters. Morel stated, “This area is one of the oldest geological regions in the world,” explaining that the winery is situated atop ancient strata formed when the Australian continent was connected to India, Antarctica, and others. He added, “It is land where the vines can root well, characterized by volcanic soil and granite, allowing the purity of the fruit to shine without increasing the yield.”
The vineyard of Barr-Eden Estate is part of the 4,000 hectares that the Faulner family first settled and owned in the 1850s. Over time, the land has been subdivided among generations, leaving only 130 hectares today, of which only a small portion is planted with grapes. In contrast, Barossa Valley has over 12,000 grapevines, while Eden Valley has only 2,000. The vineyard that the Faulner family owned for more than 140 years was purchased in 1997 by legendary Australian winemaker Bob McLean.
Joel Mattschoss, a renowned grape grower from Barossa Valley who had a close relationship with McLean, introduced the vineyard to Morel. In 2014, McLean, Mattschoss, and Morel produced Love Over Gold using French winemaking techniques. A few months later, McLean passed away, and Mattschoss and Morel, along with their friend Michael Twelftree, established Barr-Eden Estate. Twelftree is the founder of the famous Barossa Valley winery Two Hands Wines. Currently, Barr-Eden Estate is co-owned by Morel and Twelftree.
The product lineup of Barr-Eden Estate includes ▲Love Over Gold Grenache (2021) ▲Love Over Gold Shiraz (2018) ▲Love Over Gold Homage (2022) ▲Avenue to Gold Shiraz (2019) ▲Dream of Gold Shiraz (2022), totaling five types.
Most wines are harvested by hand, separating each grape from its stem. Morel noted, “We lay the grapes out on a long table and selectively pick only those that shine like caviar and are not broken,” adding, “We never use grapes that are left with stems or burst.” In addition, they use minimal machinery, opting instead to crush the grapes underfoot and leave them with the skins for several weeks before pressing them with a basket press using traditional methods. Notably, the Shiraz is made exclusively from grapes harvested from four rows of vines planted in 1929.
Love Over Gold Grenache is a source of pride for Barr-Eden Estate. The Grenache, which grows in a cane formation at the highest elevation of 545 meters, has a bouquet-like aroma and elegant tannins. Morel explained, “Typically, Grenache from Australia tends to be rich in fruitiness, but ours at Barr-Eden Estate reminds one of a freshly cut bouquet.” He elaborated that while it has tannins, they are small like grains of sand and smooth, feeling delicate in the mouth.
Love Over Gold Homage is a wine made to honor Bob McLean. He is said to be the first person to plant Mourvèdre and Grenache in this vineyard. The first vintage of Homage was produced in 2022, blending Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Shiraz. Grenache adds freshness, Shiraz brings spices and depth, while Mourvèdre serves as the backbone. The wine is aged briefly in French oak, with no new oak used.
They do not produce white wine and have no plans to do so in the future. Morel stated, “The equipment is completely different, and we can produce only about 500 to 600 bottles anyway,” adding, “Our principle is to focus only on red wine.”
He remarked, “I thought it was ideal to produce a small quantity of the highest quality wine rather than accumulating immense wealth by increasing production,” stating he wants to be a brand akin to France's Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (D.R.C), which produces some of the best wines in the world.