St Hallett Planted 1936 Shiraz 2017

Here we have a new release from the Planted Series – a tribute to the centenarian vines from Barossa and to the growers who have tended to them. Old leather, black liquorice, ground coffee, grilled meat, flickers of camphor and black pepper sit above blackberry fruit. Air reveals black olive in brine, goji berry, menthol and dried bay leaf adding a herbal edge. This is savoury in its aesthetic, and as the aromas unfold the wine comes into a new level of completeness and complexity. The palate is dark fruited, brooding and full bodied, but it manages to avoid a feeling of heft. Blackberry, black cherry, plum, cedar, dark chocolate, black liquorice, espresso. There’s an anchoring of fine-but-firm mocha-laced tannins helping to draw to long, poised length. 14.7% abv sits in nice balance with the heat present but controlled.  This will sleep nicely in the cellar for another five to ten years.

Tom Kline

Wine Critic at Winepilot

Tom Kline is a wine writer, reviewer, presenter, and educator based in Victoria, Australia. He is the Australian correspondent for the internationally respected publications Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy and Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux, where he highlights the top tier of Australian wine for a global audience. Tom also writes for leading outlets including Decanter (UK), Wine Spectator (US), and Halliday Magazine, among others. An experienced wine show judge and WSET educator, he has authored several consumer-focused wine courses aimed at making wine more accessible and engaging. In 2023, Tom was awarded Best Published Feature Article or Wine Column at the prestigious Wine Communicator Awards, presented by Wine Communicators of Australia.

Wine tasting and writing