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50 Year Old Vines Shiraz 2019

$80.00 / bottle

TASTING NOTES

Medium to deep crimson/purple. Powerfully intense aniseed, blackberry, mulberry and blueberry fruit aromas, with ginger, mint notes.

Vigorous and fleshy with generous blueberry, blackberry flavours, excellent mid-palate richness and plentiful brambly chocolatey tannins. 

WINEMAKING

The grapes are destemmed, but not crushed, and spend seven days on their skins in open fermenters with hand-plunging twice daily to more gently extract colour, flavours and tannins.

This is followed by careful basket pressing and malolactic fermentation in a combination of new and seasoned French oak prior to 24 months of maturation in our cellars.

VINEYARD

The grapes from this wine come from just three small vineyards in the Bethany, Marananga and Light Pass parishes of the Barossa. The Bethany vineyard lies on sandy loams and alluvial clays, while the Light Pass vineyard is on alluvial Sandy Brown loams and the Marananga on rich red-brown loams.

These low-yielding “Barossa Old Vines” were planted before 1965 and are now fully mature. They have a root structure and trunk thickness that encourage diversity of flavour and character. Their worthiness has been proven over many vintages, consistently producing the highest quality fruit.

Specifications

Maturation

Maturation

24 Months French Oak (15% New)

Grape Variety

Grape Variety

Shiraz

Closure

Closure

Cork

Winemaker

Winemaker

Neville Rowe

Best Drinking

Best Drinking

2022 - 2032

Alcohol

Alcohol

14.90%

Reviews

96 POINTS

Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

This is immediately enticing on the nose with black/purple fruit richness with tapenade, dark chocolate, cake spice and cracked pepper notes, followed by a powerful full-bodied palate delivering layers of delicious flavours backed by refined tannins, finishing super long and satisfying. At its best: 2024 to 2038

95 POINTS

Andrew Caillard MW

Deep crimson. Beautiful roasted coffee, blackberry, dark cherry aromas with underlying mocha herb garden notes. Classically proportioned and refined Barossa Shiraz with pure black berry, dark cherry, praline/ dark cacao flavours, fine looseknit chalky/ al dente tannins, plentiful mocha/ vanilla oak notes and integrated acidity. Finishes chocolaty firm with persistent choco-berry liquorice notes. A benchmark Barossa Shiraz. Keep for a while. Drink now – 2032

95 POINTS

Ken Gargett, Wine Pilot

This gorgeous Barossa Shiraz used here sees small open fermenters followed by gentle basket pressing and then maturation in quality French oak for two years. The team’s usual procedure is destemming the grapes, a week on skins and hand-plunging twice daily. Although the wine is named ’50-Year-Old’, some of the vines exceed that by a considerable distance. Deep red in colour, there is a mix of red and darker fruits on the nose, especially blackberries, with graphite, chocolate, warm bitumen, leather, cloves and bay leaves. Some good complexity, even at this early stage. The texture is supple and seamless with the wine finishing with delightfully soft tannins. Some very chocolatey notes to conclude. Deceptively long, the finish would simply not go away (that is a good thing, a very good thing). Loved this. A stunning Barossa Shiraz with ten to fifteen years ahead of it, over which time, expect the score to rise even further.

Berlin Wine Trophy 2021

GRAND GOLD MEDAL

Global Syrah Masters 2022

GOLD MEDAL

92+ POINTS

Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate

This 2019 50 Year Old Vines Shiraz delivers us exactly the experience we may hope for or expect from an old (established in the late 1800s), traditional Barossa producer. It is intense, savory and full, layered with red dirt, blackberries, poached raspberries, dark chocolate and Christmas spice. In the mouth, the wine is exactly thus: the oak is pronounced, although arguably in balance with the big-profile fruit. This is satisfying and full and proof that the landmark Barossa style is still to be found. Bravo.

92 POINTS

James Suckling

A very classic Barossa shiraz with stacks of ripe plum and blackberry fruit with delicate spicy notes. Rich and fleshy, but with healthy tannins underlining this and giving it a clear line across the palate. Rather dense black-fruit and licorice character at the moderately long finish. Drink or hold.

92 POINTS

Jeni Port

Old vines are busy in the fruit complexity department here but amid all the bustle, there is freshness and verve. Explosive aromas of blackcurrant pastille, fruit bon bon, licorice strap, sweet black fruits, cinnamon and clove. The maker doesn’t skimp on oak – 24 months in French oak – contributing a warm mocha-coffee-chocolate concentration. Creviced quietly between all of the fruit, oak and tannins are layers of earth and leather. Alcohol plays a role in the overall smoothness of the wine, flowing easily. Team the 50-year-old with a hearty casserole this winter and you’ll be in seventh heaven. Or, there is always the cellar. It won’t disappoint there, either.

91 POINTS

Angus Hughson, Wine Pilot

This traditionally styled 2019 Barossa Shiraz is richly endowed with plush layers of chocolate and blackberry aromas with a solid dose of mocha oak. Flavours are a touch rustic although generous before fanning out to a drying, oaky finish. A couple of years in the cellar would not hurt.