Yalumba The Octavius Old Vine Shiraz 2019
- 96
- $165
- Drink by: 2026-2046
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A blend of Eden Valley and Barossa Shiraz, the key to this superb wine is the old vines and careful oak handling. Yalumba cooper their own oak octaves for this wine, while the oldest vines date back to 1854. For this vintage, 55% of the wine hails from the Eden Valley with the remainder from the Barossa. Maturation was for nineteen months in French oak hogsheads and barriques, with one quarter of them new. They also use the 100-litre French oak octaves. Inky dark maroon in colour, there are still lashings of oak here, even with an extended period in the cellar, but integration is proceeding well. It is quality oak and supported by notes of chocolate, mocha, coffee beans, blackberries, root vegetables, axle grease, graphite, bay leaves and licorice. There is great intensity here. Seamless in structure with a slippery texture and serious length, it finishes with fine tannins. There is good power throughout and a lingering finish. 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.
