Family Article

The first vintages of this wine (from 2004) came from a 160-year-old ‘ancestor vine’ vineyard in Tanunda, about a kilometre from the Langmeil winery. The vineyard had been sold to make way for housing – and Langmeil’s Paul Lindner made a remarkable decision to save the vines from the developer’s bulldozer. In the winter of 2006 Lindner and his team moved more than 300 vines – one by one – replanting them at Langmeil on the north bank – renamed the Orphan Bank – of the Para River. The vines have thrived in their new home and the Orphan Bank Shiraz is now an international flagbearer for old vine Barossa Valley Shiraz, alongside Langmeil’s The 1843 Freedom Shiraz, from vines planted in 1843 on what is probably the world’s oldest surviving Shiraz vineyard. The Orphan Bank Shiraz highlights the rare qualities of old vine Shiraz using hands-on winemaking techniques. Gentle destemming, open fermentation, basket pressing and two years in French hogsheads (50% new) accentuate the wine’s natural fruit intensity and structure. From the 2013 vintage Orphan Bank Shiraz includes about one-third old vine Eden Valley Shiraz.