Still popular with the consumers are the big, bold and jammy styles of South Australian Shiraz that are rich and brooding and typically quite high in alcohol. Whilst these styles might not tickle everyone\u2019s fancy, there\u2019s no doubt that they remain amongst the most popular on Australian wine buyer\u2019s shopping lists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If that\u2019s the type of Shiraz that makes you emulate Pavlov\u2019s dog, it would be difficult to go past the Kaesler Old Vine Shiraz. The current vintage is 2018 and has a recommended retail price of about $90 \u2013 yet I\u2019m sure you can get it cheaper. The fruit for this mouth-filling monster comes from the Old Vine Vineyard which is found right next door to the iconic \u201cOld Bastard\u201d block \u2013 a vineyard planted in 1893 which produces the fruit for Kaesler\u2019s flagship red that sells at $260 a bottle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Old Vine Vineyard was planted in 1961, so it\u2019s no baby. According to winemaker, Reid Bosward, the 2018 vintage is one of the best he\u2019s seen in all his years of winemaking. And if Reid says that, you can bet it\u2019s true. Reid is one of the \u201cBarons of the Barossa\u201d since being bestowed that honour in 2014 due to his contribution to the Barossa Valley. He is an Australian icon in his own right \u2013 having made wine for more than 25 years all over the world including the Hunter Valley, Bordeaux, South Africa and Spain. Reid and his business partners purchased the Kaesler Estate in 2000 and since then he has continued to build a stellar reputation for producing some of the juiciest, yet longest-living Shiraz that you\u2019ll find in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 2018 Old Vine Shiraz is dark ruby red and somewhat brooding in the glass. On the nose you\u2019ll pick up hints of stewed mulberry and vanilla bean, with perhaps a touch of oakiness. A whiff soon leads to a sip, and instinctively, a gulp once delightful fruit characters pervade the mid-palate and transition in to layers of cassis, currants and plum. Whilst at the moment the red, blue and black fruits have their sweetness dulled a little by timber, there\u2019s no doubt that the obvious tannins will settle with time and reward the patient cellar keeper. In its youth, I reckon there\u2019s a lot of grace and elegance about the current vintage Old Vine Shiraz as the power of the Barossa fruit is corralled somewhat by the influence of French Oak and granular tannins. But perhaps best of all, it packs a finish longer than Don McLean\u2019s rendition of American Pie and will surely only get better in time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Australian Shiraz is quite clearly amongst the best in the world. Spending up to $100 for a bottle of red might seem a little excessive, but it\u2019s fair to say that the quality of the Australian Shiraz at that price point is far better than you\u2019d get for spending the same amount on one from the Rhone Valley or Sonoma Coast. The New World is spoilt for choice and value and to my taste buds, the Kaesler Old Vine Shiraz is up there with the very best of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The wine store shelves displaying Australian Shiraz are a notoriously busy space. After all, Shiraz remains the biggest selling red varietal in Australia, and for years has been the workhorse in driving sales for many domestic vigneron vintners. It\u2019s a grape that produces regionally distinct styles of wine depending on the climate, terroir and elevation… ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/travisschultz.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/1-Avignon-2018-778x1024.png\")
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