Grape Variety: 100% Shiraz

Growing Region: Barossa, South Australia

Winemaker: Reid Bosward

TASTING NOTE:
Taking care of young vines with modern trellising systems and machinery is difficult enough, but when you are working with 45 and in some cases over 100 year old bush vines, taking care of your vines at Kaesler brings new meaning to the phrase. The 2006 Old Vine Shiraz is a blend of 4 parcels of 45 year old Shiraz fruit from Kaesler vineyards. The 'Old Vine' Shiraz is a wine that will never be overtly fruity. It is best suited to those who prefer a savoury style.

The wine was fermented in stainless steel fermenters and pumped over twice per day. The wine was then pressed and transferred to new French oak barrels. It was then racked post malolactic fermentation, and returned to barrel. The total maturation in oak was for 18 months. The wine was bottled with no fining or filtration.

In the glass you have purple and crimson with a dense centre and a youthful edge. On the nose, the aromas are shy as a young wine with some hints of mineral and dark black fruits such as blackberry. The ripe fruit is supported by some confident oak. Aromas of creme-de-cassis, toasty oak and liquorice round things out nicely.

On the palate the fruit is actually quite solid, but in its early development the oak and tannin are forward at the moment. Full bodied and powerful, dark plums, this is a wine with fantastic ageing potential - plenty of tannin structure in this wine.

CELLARING POTENTIAL:
Drinking well this coming winter; and will repay another 4-5 years in the cellar.

SUGGESTED FOOD MATCHES:
Perfect wine match with game meats, red wine reduction sauces and roasted vegetables, enjoy.

95 pts - James Halliday's, Wine Companion.