Our Best Australian Shiraz

97+ Points - Stuart McCloskey “Sourced from the Howard family Somerset Vineyard and a blend of three slopes: Eastern, Northern and Western – planted 1966, 1968, and 1970. Warm earth, dried spices, raspberry, green olives and vanilla waft from the glass. Medium-bodied, layered, elegant and immensely appealing. The tannins are super-fine and meld beautifully with the fruit, which is ripe, crunchy and juicy. I love the subtle star anise, spice, liquorice, touches of violet and toast which I imagine emanates from the French oak in which the wine rested for 16 months. Incredible length and finely polished – sensitive winemaking and will drink beautifully over the next decade. Ideally, leave this in the cellar for 3-5 years. Served in Zalto Bordeaux glassware”

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99 Points - Stuart McCloskey “Sampled after 12 hours in the decanter. If truth be known, I struggled with this wine when it first arrived and refrained from offering my tasting note. Today, it joins the remainder of the collection as a strong family member, which has felt lost without it. Sweetness juxtaposes with savoury meatiness – a firm nod to the Northern Rhône. Heady aromas of anise, fennel seed and ink combine with the sweetest of black fruits and then comes a board of charcuterie. The length is astonishing and finishes with sweet fennel and studded salami. Wait a minute and then enters spice tinged citrus fruit with a faint tinge of blood orange… Umami, ocean-esque and sea kelp are more pronounced with aeration. To put simply, this is a contender for one of the greatest Northern Rhône wines (albeit from Oz) you will ever enjoy. Natural, unforced and certainly the longest lived ’17 Standish wine. Drinking now, but it’s a baby to 2050.” Tasted 24 Nov 2020

96 Points - James Halliday "Fruit off the estate's Marananga vineyard planted in 1899. The wine is matured in 35% new French oak and aged 16 months. It's full-bodied, bold and rich with densely packed tannins and all manner of dark fruit, spice and gravelly/ironstone notes. Retains purity, even a brightness."

Campbell Mattison, Wine Companion “Carbon copy of the excellent '15 release. Dark cherry-berry flavours, inlays of woodsy spices, mint and wood smoke as highlights. It's fresh, fleshy, pumped with fruit but more than a little savoury. It finishes firm and strong; it's in top form.”

Morgan Dunn, The Australian "White pepper and bold blue fruits on the nose with perhaps a nod to the northern Rhone with a bare hint of smoked meat and graphite. Dry tannins are regimental but not too serious; there’s focus and drive but the juiciness of the fruit and acidity add a playful element like sailors on shore leave."

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97 Points - Stuart McCloskey “A thrilling, single vineyard Shiraz which has been meticulously crafted by the skilled hands of Craig Stansborough. The site is around 260-280m above sea level with vines planted in 2000 and is own rooted, clones are heritage and 1654. The nose is heady and aromatically perfumed with intense black raspberry, crème de cassis, bramble and fennel seed. The warm earth notes keep it grounded (forgive the pun!) as do the cedar notes. Vanilla kicks in after many hours in the decanter (we decanted for 6). Read more...

  2021 Best Shiraz Wines - Wine Companion Awards

Decanter Magazine – Top 10 wineries in McLaren Vale

97 Points James Halliday "Block 6 is a 1.4ha east-facing block of 125yo vines with very complex soils. Hand-picked, crushed and destemmed, 11 days on skins, matured for 20 months in French and American puncheons (40% new). If ever there was an iron fist in a velvet glove this is it, but with one qualification: the iron fist was created by a master sculptor, the wine quite special, and fully deserving its price."

 Vinorium Award - 2019 Red Wine of the Year: Silver

99+ Points - Stuart McCloskey  “Sampled after 12 hours in the decanter. Almost nirvana on the nose and very difficult to project into words. The emotional experience overwhelms. A profusion of Indian ink, lavender, violets, vanilla, cold coal and cold stone infuse harmoniously with saturated damson, plum, mulberry and the sweetest of black raspberry. A little sweet spice unfurls in the background – think Kulfi. The palate is full bodied, richly structured and packed with the sweetest of black fruits rising to plum and anise. Minerality provides relief as does a perfectly judged line of acidity, albeit caressing in texture. Here is perfection mixed with profoundness in equal measures and this will appeal to those seeking a touch more extravagance. Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware. Drinking now, but it’s a baby to 2040+.” Tasted 24 Nov 2020

 Vinorium Award - 2019 Red Wine of the Year: Silver

99+ Points - Stuart McCloskey  “Sampled after 12 hours in the decanter. Almost nirvana on the nose and very difficult to project into words. The emotional experience overwhelms. A profusion of Indian ink, lavender, violets, vanilla, cold coal and cold stone infuse harmoniously with saturated damson, plum, mulberry and the sweetest of black raspberry. A little sweet spice unfurls in the background – think Kulfi. The palate is full bodied, richly structured and packed with the sweetest of black fruits rising to plum and anise. Minerality provides relief as does a perfectly judged line of acidity, albeit caressing in texture. Here is perfection mixed with profoundness in equal measures and this will appeal to those seeking a touch more extravagance. Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware. Drinking now, but it’s a baby to 2040+.” Tasted 24 Nov 2020

  2021 Best Shiraz Wines - Wine Companion Awards

Decanter Magazine – Top 10 wineries in McLaren Vale

97 Points James Halliday "Block 6 is a 1.4ha east-facing block of 125yo vines with very complex soils. Hand-picked, crushed and destemmed, 11 days on skins, matured for 20 months in French and American puncheons (40% new). If ever there was an iron fist in a velvet glove this is it, but with one qualification: the iron fist was created by a master sculptor, the wine quite special, and fully deserving its price."

Exclusive to The Vinorium

Mike Bennie (The Wine Front) "Jaysen Collins from Massena, well, he is his own man, but that’s his day job, doing a side project here. Or is Massena the side project? No matter. Some great wines emerging from this label, reminiscent of Standish in some respects, power but elegance, shaped by tannins, and the like, but wholly its own thing too. The last JC’s shiraz wine reviewed here was 2016 and from Stonewall, this from Greenock and 2017. Bold, brash, assertive red of booze-soaked stewed berries, sweet spice, earthy savouriness, brined black olives with a match between the fog of scent and wall of flavour. A freight train through the palate but finds graphite-licked tannin plumes and good shape with a surprisingly fresh and buoyant finish. Yes, a big red, but finds a groove, indeed, carves one out and leaves a lingering train of autumnal but sweet flavours. It’s a pretty darn epic wine here."