Stonehouse Neldner Vineyard Shiraz 2020
- 95
- $150
- Drink by: 2022-2030
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We have all seen those wonderful contoured vineyards (well, perhaps just in photos) found in the Barossa and surrounds. One of them, at Gomersal, has provided the fruit for this cracking Barossa Shiraz, from 80 year old vines. After cold soaking, the fruit is destemmed and the team have seen to it that it then enjoys a lengthy natural fermentation in open fermenters, for a period of ten days, with 10% whole bunches, before basket-pressing into a mix of oak, 30% new. Under diam, the heavy bottle may cause some of the more environmentally minded to grumble a touch, but the contents certainly will not. This is a seriously good Barossa Shiraz.
Inky magenta in colour, it is big, bold, ripe and rich with good concentration. Cassis notes, mocha, licorice, blackberries, coffee beans, bergamot and spices. There is some oak still evident, but it is showing every sign of further integration and is very much a positive. Good focus and direction here, through to very fine tannins with impressive length. Finely balanced in every aspect, it has six to eight years of improving ahead of it and it should then plateau for a decade.
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.
