Saturday, November 26, 2016

St Hallett 2013 Old Block Shiraz


To be brutally honest I can take or leave a lot of the new-wave of Barossa shirazes. Some of them, particularly from warm, dry years, taste like reds on steroids and special K. Big, almost brutal. Something to marvel at rather than something to drink. This Barossa icon, however, is a very different kettle of potatoes. The power is there; the intensity from the old vines; the potential to live for 20 years or more in the cellar. The addition of 40% of Eden Valley fruit to the Barossa component adds clarity, class and drinkability. There is that dark, brooding colour, along with fruit intensity, but also classy tannin structure, length and excellent balance. I'd enjoy a couple of bottles over the holidays, and put the rest of the case away for a rainy day, say around 2035. $110. www.sthallett.com.au.

No comments: