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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.

Bruno & George SVS Drainings Shiraz, Barossa Valley The brethren to the regular Shiraz bottling on one hand, yet this is the quintessential Barossan experience, at least from a more traditional perspective. Think beef stock, black fruit allusions, baby back ribs, vanilla pod oak and a sachet of Indian spice. from clove to turmeric. This complex potpourri melds with a long linger of bitter cocoa and cinnamon, derived from the longer period spent in newer oak. A powerful and indomitable tour de force. Built for a long haul in the cellar.

By 1850, Krondorf village comprised 121 Settlers and their families. These 121 souls formed the beginning of a new community that shaped the future of the Barossa Valley. Their spirit is remembered through the rare, meticulously selected old vines, with the 2021 vintage hand crafted from a single vineyard in the Southern Barossa with an average vine age of 60 years. With a minimalist approach to winemaking, gentle pigeage is used to extract tannins then it’s matured in premium French oak barrels for a period of 18 months. This richly textured Shiraz gives lifted and concentrated aromatics of dark plum and blackberry fruit, with complex spicy oak notes from new and seasoned French oak hogsheads. The palate shows incredible depth and intensity, the oak giving balance to the strong core of dark fruit. Graphite, aniseed and chocolate round out the palate. Approachable in the short to mid-term, but also a strong candidate for long-term cellaring.

Teusner Albert Shiraz is made from old vines in the northern Barossa; rich black fruits and tarry cassis with smoky undertones, the finish is long and luscious. Could easily be cellared for the medium term.

Tyrrell's Vat 8 is the archetypal blend of tradition and modernity. With a strong history in both the Hunter Valley and Hilltops regions, Tyrrell's are able to showcase the very best in modern Australian winemaking. The Vat 8 consists of a majority Hunter Valley Shiraz the lends beauty, flavour and ripeness and a small parcel of Hilltops Cabernet which supports the Shiraz with power and structure. Elegant and pristine early, this is a wine that will enjoy some time in the cellar to further develop it already obvious complexity.

The Penfolds Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz is a relatively new addition to the Penfolds stable, sourced from the Barossan sub-district, Marananga. Simply a revelation, this wine is an inky, black beast in the glass with lashings of dark chocolate and coffee accented fruit, yet this years offering shows a lingering, soft structured finish that will see the wine cellar very nicely.

Sourced from the Standish Family Vineyard Siegersdorf Road, Vine Vale, Barossa Valley. Planted on own roots in 1912. Dense, latent and strapping, this flaunts the flawless purity that can be leached from the famed sandy flints of Vine Vale. Tightly wound with its cards close to the vest, deep-set aromatics of coal, pressed currant and black truffle are foiled by redolent tones of tilled soil, beef broth and slow roasted meats. Dark and brooding with immense concentration, persistence and energy it is somewhat of a heroic style but is gently laced with a long fine cloak of silken tannin.

Brothers at War Single Vineyard Barossa Valley Shiraz This old vine Shiraz is sourced from a single vineyard in the Lyndoch Ranges, in the south-west of the Barossa Valley. The fruit is fermented 20% whole bunch with the balance destemmed but not crushed. The wine is then hand plunged twice daily for three weeks before being pressed to French oak (50% new) hogsheads and aged on lees for 18 months before bottling without fining or filtration.