The 2019 Old Block Shiraz is deep garnet in colour with intense hues. A complex and elegant nose with black cherry, satsuma plum, hints of fennel seed and exotic spiced. A complex and alluring wine displaying black cherry fruits, savoury spice and cedary oak on the palate. A richly concentrated, well-structured palate with plenty of mid-palate flesh and lovely textual tannins. Impeccably balanced, this wine will age gracefully for many years to come.
Food Pairing - Classic Chateaubriand with Bearnaise sauce.
Peak drinking is 2025-2031
96 GOLD Points - Halliday Wine Companion 2025 - "A blend of shiraz from the Barossa (83%) and Eden Valleys (17%) with an average vine age of 91 years. Super deep magenta-splashed crimson in the glass with familiar 'Old Block'aromas of macerated plums, blackberry, black cherry and mulberry fruits underscored with hints of baking spice, dark chocolate,licorice, violets, olive tapenade, cedar, blackpepper and earth. As always, it is rich, mouth-filling and full-bodied, fruit-sweet and intense, yet earthy and structured with powdery tannin grip and plenty of detail and delineationof flavours for a wine of such concentration. Lovely stuff."Dave Brookes Aug 2024
96 Points by Aaron Brasher in The Real Review 2024 -"Dark, opaque and inky in the glass. Opulent aromas of stewed plum, mocha, dark chocolate, mulberry, graphite, sweet spice and panforte. Plush, full flavoured and decadently mouth-filling. The epitome of the iron fist in the velvet glove. Lusciously dark fruit driven, with fabulous shape and presence. Firm, structured tannins and punchy acidity keeps everything fresh, textured and bright. A true Barossa beauty"
96 Points by Huon Hooke in The Real Review 2024 - "Very deep purple-red colour, young for its years, and the bouquet still has a lot of fresh vanilla/coconut oak showing, this quickly subsides to make room for blackberry and cassis aromas, touches of tar and ironstone, while the palate is very firm with mouth-coating tannins. Concentrated fruitcake and brandied cherries. It all bodes well for the future: it will reward many years of cellaring."
Winsor's Choice - Winsor Dobbin "St Hallett Old Block Shiraz has been an Australian classic for over four decades: a wine of power and poise; palate weight and precision. With fruit from some seriously old vines in play, this is an outstanding red from a contrary dry vintage that resulted in Barossa wines that are seriously rich and concentrated. This has a plenty of dark and spicy flavours but also finishes soft and smooth. It could be paired with rare roast beef and Yorkshire pudding right now, but will certainly cellar for a decade or two for those who prefer their reds more mature."
