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St Hallett Higher Earth Syrah St Halletts Higher Earth Syrah marks a new chapter for a brand known for its bold, unmistakably Barossan Shiraz. This wine, a true Syrah style, is lighter on its toesethereal, evenwith perfume that skips from the glass, and a juicy freshness that calls for drinking, with pleasure, right now. It seeks to represent with purity and grace the high altitude and cool climate of the Eden Valley, a showcase of this unique sub-region.The fruit for Higher Earth comes from parcels in four of St Hallets Eden Valley vineyards. Each parcel is treated individually according to its readiness and maturity. Unlike other St Hallett cuvées, Higher Earth is fermented at cool temperatures to instil vigour and freshness. It is aged in 25% new French oak. The result is a Syrah with lashings of dark fruit flavour and a lick of black pepper spice.

Krondorf 121 Settlers Barossa Valley Shiraz The 121 Settlers Old Vine Shiraz is sourced from a single site at the cooler southern extremity of Barossa, in St. Jakobi, abutting the western ridge of the Lyndoch sub-zone. Here, a conflation of red clay and loam promotes earlier ripening, a mitigating factor against inclement weather and the growing risk of early season frosts that Climate Change has foisted upon us. As importantly these dense soils imbue the wines with a firm tannic carriage, ensuring passage to greater complexity in the cellar, while serving as a structural harness for typically exuberant Barossan fruit. The average age of the vines is in excess of 35 years, with gnarled octogenarian survivors among them. Yields are inherently low as the established root systems reach deep below the soils substrata in search of water and the requisite nutrients drawn through it. Yet the fruit that is produced is immaculate: vibrant, concentrated and firmly stamped with the regional postcode of generosity. The winemaking is dutifully sensitive, chaperoning the fruit from vineyard to bottle with minimal intrusion: gravity feeds, gentle pigeage and 16-18 months in used, rather than new, oak. The result is one of dark fruit allusions from plum to blackberry, underlain by a potpourri of spice including black pepper, clove and star anise, all melded to a pungent thread of mineral. The oak is apparent, but only as an adjunct to propel the finish long. As with many Barossan greats, the fruit weight allows for early appeal, albeit, this is a wine that will easily cellar for 15 years onwards.

The original Australian "Rhône Ranger", Charlie Melton can be credited as the pioneer in reviving old vine Grenache based wines. By taking a stance against the government funded vine pull scheme of the 1980's, he has single handedly saved some of the worlds most ancient vineyards. His Nine Popes now stands as a beacon of quality amongst other great "GSM" blends.

Immensely complex and powerful, this wine is from classic old vine Shiraz from the Barossa. Dense, concentrated fruit characters of blackberry and ripe plum are knotted around delicious vanillin oak.