Huon Hooke 96 points!
Campbell Mattinson 94 points!
Campbell Mattinson 94 points!
"It's grown on vines planted in 1867 " another way of saying that it's both a) rare and b) unable to replicated. 2008 was a warm year but a very good one in the Grampians.
It has that beautiful even-tempered ripeness so typical of the best Grampians' reds. Lively and cherry-plummy. It has notes of spice and cedarwood, mocha and minerals too, but it's the evenness of the fruit, the lack of alcohol heat, and the integrated tang of the wine's acidity that mark it as a wine of quality. Don't expect a blockbuster; it's not underpowered but it is understated in modern terms. Excellent, fruit-filled, tannin-tied length."
Campbell Mattinson, Wine Front, Jan 2011
Huon Hooke 96 points!"This is very ripe and plush, yet bright and not at all overwrought. Massively full-bodied, opulent and luxurious, it's chunky and dense, packed with supple tannins, but has an echo of the Northern Rhone."
Huon Hooke, Gourmet Wine Traveller April/May 2011
"The Thomson Family Shiraz is produced from Henry Best's original 1867 Shiraz plantings, and only available in exceptional years, on average about six times a decade. The vines are cropped at less than two tonnes per acre (four tonnes per hectare) and are then meticulously hand-harvested, selected and sorted. Thomson Family Shiraz was first made in 1993, one hundred years after the Thomson family settled in the area. It is produced predominantly from the fifteen rows of vines planted by Henry Best, recorded as "Hermitage" by Henry in his daily journal. Today the clone is referred to by the CSIRO as the Concongella clone and it is the mother clone of all subsequent shiraz plantings at Best's Great Western.
Thomson Family Shiraz is hand harvested, hand plunged and fermented in small open fermenters and the wine is only produced in years when the quality is second to none. The Langton's Classification is "Outstanding".
Colour: Deep, dark and concentrated purple
Bouquet: Shy blue fruits and lifted spice " coiled and complex
Palate: Very intense rich front to mid palate, lush and plush, supporting acid and tannins arrive late " long and detailed finish.
"
Best's Wines
Country:
Australia
Region:
VIC- Great Western
Variety:
Wine Red - Shiraz
Size:
750mL
