2022 Standish Four Bottle Pack

Standish 2022 Four Bottle Pack

Contains one 75cl bottle of each:

• 2022 Standish The Standish
• 2022 Standish The Relic
• 2022 Standish Lamella
• 2022 Standish The Schubert Theorem

Lamella

100 Points - Erin Larkin "The 2022 Lamella Shiraz has a little secret held within, and it's one not noted on the label. Within this cuvée, is just two barrels of fruit from the Stonegarden Vineyard, the original Lamella Vineyard, before the current Huttonvale Farm. Stonegarden was planted in the Eden Valley in the middle 1800s and is a historic site. The wine rises with Chinotto and blood orange, black tea and pressed flowers. It is, in its quiet way, kaleidoscopic and mottled ... it does not stay still, it gently moves across the palate like sunlight over the course of a day. The long finish speaks of raspberry pip and sandalwood, pomegranate, Boscobel rose and even the softest suggestion of scraped vanilla pod. If you have the benefit of time, I would recommend tasting this on both day one and day two. As I see it, day two has all of the complexity of day one, with the added seamlessness and silk that only time can bring. This is the most alluring Lamella I can recall ever tasting on release, despite many previous releases' flirtation with perfection. 100% whole bunch. 14.9% alcohol, sealed under natural cork and wax."

Stuart McCloskey “Every Standish collector wants the ‘Lamella’ however, good luck as it is rarely seen upon release, let alone years down the line. You wouldn’t believe how many cases we have shipped back to Australian customers. Accordingly, pile in and buy the most lauded wine in the quartet.

As per The Relic sample, two bottles were opened with bottle two showing much better (1-hour decanting opposed to many hours and days which has been customary with previous releases). I found Lamella the most interesting sample to assess. For one, it certainly shows the longer hangtime in the vineyard, which translates from vine to glass. Denser, more structured, and quintessentially Standish. The tannins are more pronounced and provide the perfect frame for the concentrated fruit… I am getting ahead of myself – back to the bouquet which is drop dead gorgeous and certainly the ‘deeper’ and ‘denser’ of the ’22 releases. Bottomless nori, layers of coal / graphite – it’s off the charts in terms of concentration and depth. Dark black and blue fruits which are laced with sweet, exotic spice. White pepper, sous-bois and glorious blood orange. The puppy fat palate is kept in-check by cooling freshness and firm but silken tannins. This is the archetypical ‘iron fist in a velvet glove.’ I love the interplay of elements which make-up this masterpiece. Sheer power which is counterbalanced by a deftly touch of lacelike brilliance. Utter harmony. It really takes perfection in its stride and deserves its legendary status. By my favourite Lamella to date. Served using Zalto Burgundy glassware. Drink now to 2050 and I hope it brings as much joy to you as it did for me…”

The Schubert Theorem

98+ Points - Erin Larkin "I'm excited to taste this, as it was my favorite cuvée last year. It usually changes year to year, given the seasons, and I like that. It's usually the only cuvée to enjoy the benefits of an alternate vessel—a concrete egg—and this year, the 2022 The Schubert Theorem Shiraz joins the Relic and the Standish as well. The impact of the egg in this wine is one of refinement, or so I see it; it retains a purity of fruit at the core, which speaks to the chalky tannins that spool through the finish. They're chewy and seductive and really great. It's a beautiful release—not shimmering like the 2021, but textural and fine and elongated in its way. It's a beguiling wine, a thinking wine. And, as with the other wines tasted alongside, the bottle that has been open for two days is infinitely more complete; however, it must be noted that this review is built on the freshly opened bottle. 14.9% alcohol, sealed under natural cork and wax."

Stuart McCloskey “The bouquet is simply irresistible – you can smell the succulence, which draws you in and keeps you hooked. I love a wine that provides a perfume which is so profound, there isn’t a need to taste. First-up is the unmissable marine influence – salt, iodine and seaweed, which pervades with graphite. A harmonious and adult introduction. Fruit elements provide an intoxicating and heady mix of dark pastille fruits, crème de mûre and cassis. A further layer of savouriness is delivered by way of liquorice, black olive tapenade and star anise. Wonderfully exotic and then I am transported back to the seaside… Professionally, I have been sampling wines for 25-years and some of the very best too, yet I am not sure if I have ever come across a newly released wine (an infant in the bottle) that delivers such immediate pleasure and almost perfect mouthfeel. The balance is immaculate and personifies ‘seamlessness’. As odd as it sounds, it flows to a cool climate tune and a warm one at once. There’s a little warm climate attitude yet, the palate feel is otherworldly. So gracious, bewitched by beauty – the tannins are super-fine and super-long. The fruit is intensely sweet, dark, brooding and wholesome in their respective exoticness. Cerebral winemaking at its very best. Purity personified and delivers a sheath of coolness which I have never witnessed from a Barossa Shiraz. This genuinely has captured all my senses. Furthermore, and before I commence chapter two, there is no doubt in my mind that the 2022 Schubert Theorem is a bona fide giant on the world stage of wine… Simply beautiful and epic. Quite incredible that a wine can make such an immediate impact. By far my favourite Schubert Theorem to date. Drink now to 2050+. Served using Zalto Burgundy (better than the Bordeaux glass). Sampled 26 March 2024.” 

The Standish

98 Points - Erin Larkin "The 2022 The Standish Shiraz is again providing me with the opportunity to assess bottles two days apart, and how different they are. The freshly opened bottle, as we would all experience upon our first opening, is tight and fresh, with cracked fennel seed, black peppercorns, cumin and ras el'hanout, then dried blueberries and licorice, hints of arnica and raspberry. It's cool and mineral, with a graphite finish. I cannot overstate how much better the wine tastes after two days. All of the edges smooth out, and it is composed and complete ... what a wine. Balance and harmony in a single swoop. It's savory, though. Super. 14.9% alcohol, sealed under natural cork and foil."

Stuart McCloskey “Customarily, the most muscular wine of the quartet and one that always speaks accurately of its terroir. Also, the one that requires more time and understanding as it sadly, doesn’t always offer the same kerb appeal as the others. I decanted all four wines back-to-back. I resisted sampling, but I took a deep inhale, and this was the most exciting wine straight out of the bottle, which is another first as it’s often the most reticent. 

The bouquet is turbo-charged – Schubert Theorem dialled up a notch or two. Beauty and the beast if you like. Marine influences are at play – this time there’s a ‘warmed’ element to their respective fragrance. Perhaps a deeper fragrance of iodine, sea kelp and sea salt would be a better description. The fruit is mineral and spice-driven, black and blue with pastille goodness along with violets and fresh pencil shavings. Wonderfully floral too. A brooding, exotic behemoth being an accurate summary. In time, you’ll see… 

This wine is a perfect marriage of the Barossa and the great wines of Hermitage, Rhône. The palate is distinctly powerful, but and unlike previous releases, the magical 2022 wand has cast a degree of charm. Spiced fruit cake, cocoa and coffee add yin and yang to the palate staining black and blue fruits, which are infused with the most expensive, exotic spices. The ‘spice’ notes are heightened with more aeration. At first, the tannins feel almost hidden, but when you go looking, they do provide some serious grip and add lovely shape and feel to the wine. The palate feel is generous and certainly the most appealing example we have seen, yet it is too young to broach. I recommend 8-10 years, but it is worth opening one bottle just to quell one’s curiosity. Another triumph and the most enjoyable ‘The Standish’ we have experienced. Served using Zalto Burgundy glassware. Drink 2030+ to 2050+. Sampled 26 March 2024.” 

The Relic

98+ Points - Erin Larkin "The 2022 The Relic Shiraz-Viognier contains 2% Viognier skins, and this addition presents in this vintage as a core of raspberry and pomegranate. It is pure fruited and powerfully aromatic, as this cuvee always is. Interestingly, I am tasting this wine from two different glasses: one opened two days ago, one opened this morning. They are quite different, telling us once again that oxygen really is a friend to this producer, especially if choosing to drink these wines young. While the bottle opened two days ago is complete, balanced and utterly refined, it speaks more of its florals and fruit than it does its savory register of spice and complexity. However, the wine opened today has nuances of bacon fat and exotic spice. It is tightly coiled and springy and nowhere near as giving as the former. So, choose your own path. This vintage is a prettier, finer but no less long or coiled version of itself, and it will prove to be one of the greats in the cellar. The tannins certainly are a highlight for me. Built for age but also, in the framework of this beautiful season, absolutely available to you right now. An effortless beauty, here. 14.9% alcohol, sealed under natural cork."

Stuart McCloskey “Two bottles were opened with bottle two showing better (this sample was served with less aeration / decanting time (1-hour in this case) which is the theme for the ’22 collection. Less delivers more…). The aromatics bowl you over with the sheer intensity, crystalline purity and drips with succulence. Graphite, Indian ink, iodine along with anise meld with plum compote, raspberry, blackcurrant, espresso, vanilla, mint, bay leaf, pretty florals and cedar (Mocha follows with more aeration). The palate is mindboggling and unlike any other Relic vintage I have sampled (certainly upon release). Such accessibility, so graceful, so pure, and impeccable balanced – a silken Shiraz in its finest incarnation. I suggest those seeking brutal tannins move on as these gently ripple across the palate. Akin to the bouquet, the palate is saturated with black and blue fruits. The satiny texture is heavenly and feels top-class in any language. This is a dignified release, it’s certainly pretty and executed with finesse. For Relic fans - this delivers everything you could ever hope for… Simply, a beautiful, sensual release which has left me struggling to find the right words. Perhaps ‘it delivers the complete package’ will do? Easily my favourite Relic to date. Served using Zalto Burgundy glassware. Drink now to 2050+. Sampled 27 March 2024.”