By Robert Giorgione, robertfoodwinetravel.blogspot.com/
Old Block Shiraz
After a quick recovery from Petaluma’s Rieslings (see previous post), it was was Toby Barlow’s (St Hallett Winemaker/Site Manager) turn to take the stage. St Hallett was established in the Barossa Valley in 1944, but the first vintage of “Old Block” Shiraz was the 1982. However, it was with the 1985 wine, which proved to be an important watershed year for the winery, that the current logo made its entry onto the world stage. The St Hallett labels have remained unchanged ever since. .
Whereas “Hanlin Hill” is all about varietal and vineyard expression, “Old Block” is a blend. In general, there are around 65 different growers from within Barossa who provide fruit that goes towards the iconic wine. The youngest of all the blocks dates back to 1960 and the oldest more than 100 years old! This vineyard is located within the nearby Eden Valley and is affectionately called the 1906 vineyard. Here, it is all about a small network of families and growers and things are done generally with an ‘old school’ handshake instead of many corporate contracts.
With the “Old Block”, St Hallett chiefly is aiming to produce a consistent style of wine, which reflects the grape variety and its origin. However, this is done with a focused ‘hands-off’ style of winemaking. Much blending and assembling is done before the final product is released. The right cooperage is very important. For instance, pre-2000’s American oak was used, whereas nowadays it is all French oak. The wine normally spends between eight to twenty months in barrel. They are looking for a consistent, multi-layered wine with a silky texture and no raw edges.
Toby Barlow
We commenced the flight of reds by tasting the 2006 and 2002 together. The former vintage is considered a great one within the region, displaying all the hallmarks of a good, consistent growing season. Overall, the wine showed plenty of ripe berry, cassis and morello cherry fruit, yet still with a soft, supple and elegant freshness. A very charming wine with a well-defined, multi-layered and complex character. Needs time. The 2002 was absolutely superb and my favourite of the younger wines presented. It showed delicious, fresh and lifted aromatics, perfectly balanced with a deep, seductive and silky texture. There was a high proportion of excellent high-altitude Eden Valley fruit in the blend, which gave it wonderful elegance and freshness.
We then tasted the 1998 and the 1991. Both wines showed a maturity and complexity you would expect, yet with more spicy, earthy and plummy notes. There was a great deal of complexity and both were in perfect harmony. We rounded off the tasting with the 1985. It was rich, plummy and had a certain degree of minerality coming through. I adored its long, silky and supple length. The mature wine was elegant and well-balanced. Harking back to my Oxo Tower days, I always remembered the wine during the 1990’s had some nuances of vanilla, even some chocolate. Therefore, I now understand this must have come from the American oak. Tasting the wines today, the stylistic differences with the change in use of oak became very apparent.
Thus, we finished off the tasting one a bit of a high note, which is always a bonus.
With experience as Sommelier, wine buyer, photographer and professional traveler Robert is a complete blogger. You can check his food and wine journeys here
Tags: Australia, Barossa, Bloggers, Robert Giorgione, Shiraz, St Hallett, wine tasting