Beautiful and concentrated bouquet with ripe dark and red berries. Same on the palate, a firm amount of sweetness, good acidity and round, powerful tannin. Still very youthful, but also already enjoyable. Waiting another 3 – 5 years will be rewarding. 93 – 94++
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Incredibly pure raspberry compote note on the nose combined with warm rocks, fine spices, lavender and iron. Raspberry intensity transfers to the palate. Refined but high tannins with lovely texture and great texture. Persistant finish. Too young but very enjoyable.
WSET Notes:
Deep purple.
Pronounced on the nose with blackberry, raspberry compote, vanilla, cedar, hot wet stone, iron, clove and leather. Developing.
Pronounced and dry on the palate. Full body, high alcohol, high tannins, high acidity, long finish.
Too young.
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have a few bottles. stored at 15 deg. I decided to test at 5 year mark to see how it’s developing. thought it might be too too young. 2 hour double decant.
my goodness, wasn’t expecting the quality it delivered. so integrated, tannins and acid were dancing in harmony. excellent mouthfeel. still fruit driven but so complex and spicy. white pepper and chilly, black fruit and long finish. will get better but already outstanding and in the window. beguiling.
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This is the 4th wine I've rated 97, my highest score so far, out of around 1,100 bottles (mostly all different ones.) So for my palate, both in terms of sheer quality *and* QPR, it's essentially perfect. I have a lot I want to say about it. Enjoyed in both a Gabriel glas and Zalto burgundy.
On the nose: darker than black, with a deep, deep well of black licorice, mocha, maybe alder wood and hints of tar framing blackberry compote and prune preserves (not "pruny" like older wine- picture a prune-filled cookie, still vibrant), plus a waft of savory, gamey, earthy tones unique to syrah but VERY rare in the Barossa in my experience- BBQ meats, tapenade, violets, lavender, that sort of gentle umami in a Saint Joseph or Côte-Rôtie in just the right amount that it was present and engaging without ever being overwhelming. After a while began to show slightly brighter, more floral fruit, essence of plum and black cherry with even more aromatic violet tones. Even with all that detail I'd say the nose is a little shy at times; a long whiff reveals more and more beauty. Will become more effortless after a short cellar nap, and I can't imagine how beautiful that would be, but I loved the combination of dark, brooding seriousness and super-pungent intensity competing with one another.
Palate is about the same, one of the few examples that really lives up to the promises on the nose. This is a flood of flavors, practically every flavor in red wine competing in a tug of war between blackened earthy/savory tones and ultra dense, ripe, silken fruit- and somehow leaving room for nuance. Loads of black licorice, dark chocolate, mocha, etc alongside insane plum preserves and blackberry vibes. It's hard to describe the fruit here. Although there's intense ripeness, its so dark-hued that it hardly resembles a specific fruit, and yet has the beautiful naturally integrated acidic lift to feel fresh and clean after the superfine tannic filligree slips town your throat, inviting another sip of this towering wine. Thick as hell, but incredibly elegant and streamlined too. Overwhelmingly intoxicating.
Frankly I would avoid pairing this with food. It would "pair well" with several things, but it felt so nuanced and detailed than I feel any competing flavor would take something away- and it's such a silky, appealing wine already that it doesn't need a mouthful of food to bring it together. Feels like it wants to be sipped slowly and mindfully on its own in a cozy armchair on a rainy night.
I also loved the 2017 Lamella, which I gave a 96- this was similar in many ways, but both richer and more complex/nuanced. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.
94-95 Amazing wine, as everyone describes. No formal notes, very hedonistic and perfumed. Rich mouthfeel loaded with pure fruit, black and blue. The best Australian Shiraz I have tried that combines elegance with 'opulence'.
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Impenetrable glowing purple/black colour. Stunning really. Dark fruits - blackberry, dark cherry, blueberrry, dutch licorice, dark chocolate, gravelly acidity, sandy tannins. The depth and length are quite profound. It's so intensely and deeply flavoured but like all great wines its never heavy or hard. Probably underscoring this, that's how good it is.
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Ah The Standish. I don’t think there’s a better Shiraz out there, except for maybe Rockford, but that’s another style altogether. Black in the glass. Big red/black fruit appear after 4 hours of decanting (don’t think about drinking this without it). Oak spices, earth, roasted nuts in the background. Huge concentration - it’s like drinking the ripest berries in liquid form. Phenomenal balance of all things. Crazy good. Goes down fast, but is a silent killer with its 15% abv.
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I had hoped that this would be a perfect pairing for Franklin barbecue. The barbecue was perfect, but the wine was very tight upon opening and excellent, but not life changing, after two hours. More complex than opulent IMO. Consensus was to age at least another five years, which I plan to do for my other bottles.
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Love it - I can definitely smell the whole bunch aspect, can't say it's a flavour I love but there's plenty of other goodness in there... the palate is amazing, so rich and decantant... and one of the longest lengths I've ever experienced. Wow! This has totally destroyed my palate for the evening in a good way.
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This might just be perfect. Purple and black like Lamella but longer on the finish, so much going on here. Absolutely captivating at each turn from GO to whoa (more go, less whoa I say) the rest will go to bed for a few years although at great value for this standard of wine you could just keep gulping it
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Probably the besr Barossa shiraz I have tried. This thing so incredibly dense and rich. It's like a tiny berry with super concetrated juice is put in a bottle. Think everything in terms of flavour - brown spices, rich jam, high acid. Big wine. Needs years before it is accessible. Enjoy!!!
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12/27/2023 - Zweder Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful and concentrated bouquet with ripe dark and red berries. Same on the palate, a firm amount of sweetness, good acidity and round, powerful tannin. Still very youthful, but also already enjoyable. Waiting another 3 – 5 years will be rewarding. 93 – 94++
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12/5/2023 - sjfunkenhauser wrote: 94 Points
94 - 96
Incredible purity of fruit. Slightly softer tannins than Lamella.
Deep purple colour.
Pronounced aromas of crushed raspberries, spiced plums, blackberry, blueberry, licorice, cinnamon, all spice, acacia wood.
Pronounced palate.
Full body, high tannin, medium (+) acidity, long finish.
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11/19/2023 - Irish_Wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Incredibly pure raspberry compote note on the nose combined with warm rocks, fine spices, lavender and iron. Raspberry intensity transfers to the palate. Refined but high tannins with lovely texture and great texture. Persistant finish. Too young but very enjoyable.
WSET Notes:
Deep purple.
Pronounced on the nose with blackberry, raspberry compote, vanilla, cedar, hot wet stone, iron, clove and leather. Developing.
Pronounced and dry on the palate. Full body, high alcohol, high tannins, high acidity, long finish.
Too young.
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9/15/2023 - Gwgwggww Likes this wine:
Needs years to mature (though already not too tannic)
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8/6/2023 - Fantomas Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still young but with potential.
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6/22/2023 - wineotim wrote: 93 Points
Really shows great typicity. There's no mistaking it for anything but Shiraz. But I preferred the '16 for its more bold and chewy character.
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5/17/2023 - levicn wrote: 92 Points
深紫红色，闻香有些许桉树，黑加仑，紫罗兰，一点果酱感，入口酸度中高，单宁紧涩，细砂纸颗粒，桉树叶，甜美黑果，伴随着青味，如饮糖浆一般，风格甜美，口感平衡，浓郁饱满而又很柔和，即便是新年份，喝起来已经非常舒服。
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5/14/2023 - Gman64 Likes this wine: 96 Points
have a few bottles. stored at 15 deg. I decided to test at 5 year mark to see how it’s developing. thought it might be too too young. 2 hour double decant.
my goodness, wasn’t expecting the quality it delivered. so integrated, tannins and acid were dancing in harmony. excellent mouthfeel. still fruit driven but so complex and spicy. white pepper and chilly, black fruit and long finish. will get better but already outstanding and in the window. beguiling.
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3/19/2023 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine: 97 Points
This is the 4th wine I've rated 97, my highest score so far, out of around 1,100 bottles (mostly all different ones.) So for my palate, both in terms of sheer quality *and* QPR, it's essentially perfect. I have a lot I want to say about it. Enjoyed in both a Gabriel glas and Zalto burgundy.
On the nose: darker than black, with a deep, deep well of black licorice, mocha, maybe alder wood and hints of tar framing blackberry compote and prune preserves (not "pruny" like older wine- picture a prune-filled cookie, still vibrant), plus a waft of savory, gamey, earthy tones unique to syrah but VERY rare in the Barossa in my experience- BBQ meats, tapenade, violets, lavender, that sort of gentle umami in a Saint Joseph or Côte-Rôtie in just the right amount that it was present and engaging without ever being overwhelming. After a while began to show slightly brighter, more floral fruit, essence of plum and black cherry with even more aromatic violet tones. Even with all that detail I'd say the nose is a little shy at times; a long whiff reveals more and more beauty. Will become more effortless after a short cellar nap, and I can't imagine how beautiful that would be, but I loved the combination of dark, brooding seriousness and super-pungent intensity competing with one another.
Palate is about the same, one of the few examples that really lives up to the promises on the nose. This is a flood of flavors, practically every flavor in red wine competing in a tug of war between blackened earthy/savory tones and ultra dense, ripe, silken fruit- and somehow leaving room for nuance. Loads of black licorice, dark chocolate, mocha, etc alongside insane plum preserves and blackberry vibes. It's hard to describe the fruit here. Although there's intense ripeness, its so dark-hued that it hardly resembles a specific fruit, and yet has the beautiful naturally integrated acidic lift to feel fresh and clean after the superfine tannic filligree slips town your throat, inviting another sip of this towering wine. Thick as hell, but incredibly elegant and streamlined too. Overwhelmingly intoxicating.
Frankly I would avoid pairing this with food. It would "pair well" with several things, but it felt so nuanced and detailed than I feel any competing flavor would take something away- and it's such a silky, appealing wine already that it doesn't need a mouthful of food to bring it together. Feels like it wants to be sipped slowly and mindfully on its own in a cozy armchair on a rainy night.
I also loved the 2017 Lamella, which I gave a 96- this was similar in many ways, but both richer and more complex/nuanced. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.
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10/18/2022 - plitton wrote:
Simple. Acid/fruit ok.
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5/20/2022 - ta75 Likes this wine: 94 Points
94-95 Amazing wine, as everyone describes. No formal notes, very hedonistic and perfumed. Rich mouthfeel loaded with pure fruit, black and blue. The best Australian Shiraz I have tried that combines elegance with 'opulence'.
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4/4/2022 - azzah Likes this wine: 95 Points
Impenetrable glowing purple/black colour. Stunning really. Dark fruits - blackberry, dark cherry, blueberrry, dutch licorice, dark chocolate, gravelly acidity, sandy tannins. The depth and length are quite profound. It's so intensely and deeply flavoured but like all great wines its never heavy or hard. Probably underscoring this, that's how good it is.
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3/12/2022 - grapenomad wrote: 95 Points
Ah The Standish. I don’t think there’s a better Shiraz out there, except for maybe Rockford, but that’s another style altogether. Black in the glass. Big red/black fruit appear after 4 hours of decanting (don’t think about drinking this without it). Oak spices, earth, roasted nuts in the background. Huge concentration - it’s like drinking the ripest berries in liquid form. Phenomenal balance of all things. Crazy good. Goes down fast, but is a silent killer with its 15% abv.
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3/10/2022 - Montesquieu Likes this wine: 95 Points
I had hoped that this would be a perfect pairing for Franklin barbecue. The barbecue was perfect, but the wine was very tight upon opening and excellent, but not life changing, after two hours. More complex than opulent IMO. Consensus was to age at least another five years, which I plan to do for my other bottles.
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4/9/2021 - Tommoevo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Love it - I can definitely smell the whole bunch aspect, can't say it's a flavour I love but there's plenty of other goodness in there... the palate is amazing, so rich and decantant... and one of the longest lengths I've ever experienced. Wow! This has totally destroyed my palate for the evening in a good way.
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10/19/2020 - Vinoelle Likes this wine: 100 Points
This might just be perfect. Purple and black like Lamella but longer on the finish, so much going on here. Absolutely captivating at each turn from GO to whoa (more go, less whoa I say) the rest will go to bed for a few years although at great value for this standard of wine you could just keep gulping it
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6/13/2020 - MichaelSy Likes this wine: 98 Points
Probably the besr Barossa shiraz I have tried. This thing so incredibly dense and rich. It's like a tiny berry with super concetrated juice is put in a bottle. Think everything in terms of flavour - brown spices, rich jam, high acid. Big wine. Needs years before it is accessible. Enjoy!!!
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