Nietschke Jack Shiraz 2019

A wine to make you stronger. Really? A namesake, Friedrich Nietzsche, had that so often used quote, “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” Okay, technically there is a slight spelling discrepancy but it is a new year – so some latitude please. In this case, the name comes from Samuel Johann Nietschke, rather than German philosophers, who sailed to Australia in 1838 on the ‘Zebra’. Also in 1838, another vessel, the ‘Prince George’ arrived on Australian shores with Johann Georg Kalleske. It took a while before the two families linked but in 1968, John Kalleske married Lorraine Nietschke. Both families were well known for grapegrowing and winemaking in the Barossa, and these days their sons, Tony, Kym and Troy, are in charge. This Shiraz is a tribute to all this.

The grapes here are sourced from across the Barossa, most notably Greenock. Fermentation was for 7 to 14 days on skins in open top fermenters with hand pumpovers twice daily. The wine was aged in a combination of seasoned and new French and American hogsheads for eighteen months. A dark maroon colour, this is concentrated, powerful and richly flavoured. Cassis, spices, red fruits, chocolate, black olives and more. Some oak but very good integration. There is decent length here too and fine tannins. A really lovely, enjoyable wine, and one with a future. There is a gentle fade and if one were to nit-pick, a fraction more intensity on the finish would have lifted it further, but a small quibble. This is a fine wine so don’t miss it. It may not make you stronger but it will make you happy.

Ken Gargett

Contributor at Winepilot

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.

Wine writer and critic