Kaesler Old Vine Shiraz 2022
- 96
- $110
- Drink by: 2025-2045
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Barossa Valley Shiraz from old vine vineyards from one of the better vintages in living memory – what is not to love? The fruit comes from a trio of vineyards, planted between 1961 and 1965, and spends time maturing in a mix of new and older French oak puncheons for sixteen months. Plenty of local wineries would love to present this as their prestige red, as it really is a cracker. 6,289 bottles made. Under cork. A vibrant purple hue, this is refined, poised, taut and concentrated, and yet offers generosity of flavour. The oak integration is immaculate, the intensity impressive and the balance knife-edge. It is seamless with abundant though slightly powdery tannins and has great length. The flavours move through dark chocolate, graphite, cassis, black fruits, coffee beans, soy and cloves. This is a twenty year proposition.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
