The 2015 Yalumba The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Museum Release is a beautifully matured Barossa Cabernet Shiraz released directly from Yalumba's own museum cellar, combining one of Australia's most traditional red-wine blends with exceptional provenance. First produced in 1962, every vintage of The Signature honours someone who has made an important contribution to Yalumba; the 46th vintage, 2015, honours the late Darrell Kruger, who joined Yalumba in 1975 and ultimately became Barossa Vineyard Manager. The blend is approximately 51% Cabernet Sauvignon and 49% Shiraz, with Cabernet sourced from vineyards across Greenock, Gomersal, Williamstown, Light Pass, Krondorf and Eden Valley, while much of the Shiraz comes from the Schiller family's Barossa Valley vineyard, including a block planted in 1925. The wine matured for 22 months in French, Hungarian and American oak, with only 18% new oak, allowing vineyard character and fruit to remain at the centre of the wine.
After more than a decade of development, the 2015 is showing an impressive combination of mature complexity and remaining fruit. Blackberry, black cherry, dark plum and currant are layered with eucalyptus, cedar, leather, mahogany, tobacco, dried herbs and warm spice. The palate remains generous and fleshy, but the tannins have become increasingly polished and integrated, creating a long, elegant finish. The Museum Release received 96 Points from Halliday Wine Companion, with Dave Brookes praising its intensity, structure and length, while Decanter awarded 95 Points in 2025, highlighting the harmony between Cabernet and Shiraz and the graceful development achieved through bottle age. James Suckling's Nick Stock also awarded the wine 96 Points, describing it as supple, silky and capable of another two decades of development.
