“If 2018 was the “unicorn” vintage in Barossa Valley, then that must make the long, cool 2021 season “Goldilocks” – not too hot, not too cold, it was just right. The consensus so far on the 2021 vintage for Shiraz in Barossa is that the best wines will be extraordinarily long-lived. The cool nights during the growing season allowed for the retention of natural acidity, and the wines, as a result, feel fresh and balanced. This release of 2021 Standish Shiraz wines shows us a producer who saw the cool year and behaved with focus, determination, restraint, attention to detail and reactive care in the winery. The wines are finer and less dense (although no less intense) than the vintages that precede them, and as usual, the top wines are different this year compared last. The collection is cohesive, exciting, and worthy of all the praise that it undoubtedly received. The highlight of the collection? You’ll have to read the notes….but suffice to say, the 2021 release comes warmly recommended.” - Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate
For years now we have loved all the brilliant work weaved by Dan Standish and team over in the heart of Barossa Valley, but more than any previous year, we must now say this - this 2021 release could very well be our favourite ever from these shiraz magicians. These wines hark back to the classic Barossa vintages; with the previous few years all being very dry and hot, this comparatively cool year stands out immensely, and imbues each of the drops with a brilliant elegant quality. For longtime fans or those yet to jump on board, this is the one to focus in on! All on special for this week!
2021 The Schubert Theorem Shiraz - $129 on offer ; $150 RRP (NOW SOLD OUT)
// Marananga sub-region
"A cooler year has produced a wine of scintillating precision and fruit sweetness. It glows with its own black light. It shimmers and oscillates between fruit luminescence and plush tannic texture, and in doing so, it barely containers its own energy and abundance. The distinction between this profusion of fruit and the old “fruit bombs” of yore is the precision of acid and pliable fruit tannin that defines the middle palate and the ability of the fruit (courtesy of the winemaking) to shine through the vessels in which it matured. The tannin that shapes the wine is plentiful, make no mistake, yet it is ductile and fine and threads through every aspect of the palate. A thrilling Schubert this year, its like a strike of lightning on a dark night. ThIs wine appeals most fervently to my penchant for freshness, energy and resonant bass line." - 99 Points, Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate
2021 Lamella Shiraz - $129 on offer ; $150 RRP
// Eden Valley
"The 2021 Lamella Shiraz is made with fruit from the Angas family vineyard, Hutton Vale Farm in Eden Valley. The vineyard was planted with cuttings from the Mt Edelstone (Henschke) vineyard and represents the final pick of the season each year. Made with 100% whole bunches in the ferment, the wine opens with characteristic jasmine tea, bergamot, raspberry, graphite and star anise on the nose. The whole-bunch component, far from overtaking the fruit, is seamlessly integrated from the first instance this year. The wine is a cohesive whole and shows an elegance and presence that is beguiling, to say the least. If anything, the 2021 Lamella is full of aching potential: its future is writ upon the balance of the fruit and skin/stalk tannin, freshness and density. For lovers of this cuvée, I cannot recall seeing it so balanced and poised on release. The cool vintage this year has produced a wine of definition and untold potential. Super." - 98 Points, Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate
2021 The Relic Shiraz-Viognier - $129 on offer ; $150 RRP
// Krondorf sub-region (Southern Barossa)
“The 2021 Relic Shiraz-Viognier is made with the fruit from the Hongell family vineyard, Krondorf. It was made with 1% Viognier co-fermented, with 25% whole bunches in the ferment this year, up from 15% to 20% in 2020. The Relic is one of Australia’s greatest Shiraz Viognier wines and it’s a sure thing each year for quality and execution of style. In 2020, it was my preferred wine of the collection for its savory, meaty/bacon fat/bloody character. All elements were in balance, and it managed a savory and floral drive within the same glass. Super cool. This year, I love the wine for all the opposite reasons. The 2021 is creamy, plush and almost sybaritic in its outlay of fruit and tannin. At 15.5% alcohol, it’s the highest alcohol wine in the 2021 release, yet it doesn’t show that via a warmth or harshness in the wine. The whole-bunch component is up slightly this year from last, and honestly, it feels completely invisible in the wine. This is undoubtedly the biggest, most plush wine in the collection, but true to form for Standish, it is balanced and fresh, with a long future in front of it.” - 98 Points, Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate
2021 The Standish Shiraz - $129 on offer ; $150 RRP
// Greenock sub-region
“The 2021 Standish Shiraz was made with fruit from the Laycock family vineyard, Greenock, with 30% whole bunches in the ferment. The Standish Shiraz was the first cuvée launched by Dan Standish in 1999, and the wine is routinely typified by its muscular tannin shape and earthy savory fruit. The most attractive part of this wine is the splay of exotic market spice (namely sumac, black pepper, star anise and fresh cardamom) that sails in on the coattails of the red/purple fruit. It has all the exoticism and romance of a hike through the mountains of Morocco, yet it, perhaps more than any other wine in the collection, speaks of the Barossa in a clear enunciated voice. The 2021 is finer, prettier and lighter than I have ever seen it at this stage of its life. It has all the spice and Barossan identity that is expected; however, it missed the dense baritone of fruit that is present in earlier iterations. Whether you think that is appositive or not is up to you – I am fond of this wine throughout all its incarnations. The real triumph in 2021 is the ability of the vineyard to shine through the season that shaped it." - 96 Points, Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate
If you wish to purchase any of these wines, please use the links above ? alternatively, email us at sales@thewineemporium.com.au, or contact us on (07)32521117 if you have any questions // Prices valid until Thursday 8th of June