eRobertParker.com 98 points!
eRobertParker.com 98 points!"Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2009 Old Bastard Shiraz reveals aromas of spice, blackberries and black cherry compote with a gentle undercurrent of underbrush, dusty earth, game, spice cake and smoked bacon. Full bodied, rich and opulent in the mouth, it has an abundance of savory / earthy flavors with a good backbone of lively acid and medium to firm velvety tannins, finishing long. Consider drinking it 2013 to 2023+."
Lisa Perrotti-Brown, eRobertParker.com #199
Feb 2012
Mike Bennie 92+ points!"Very tightly bound aromatics, cedary and lifted with dark and blue fruits " appealing amongst the dust and leather. The palate is very focussed, gravelly tannins show a hedged frame and the interior is of complex, brambly dark fruit, plum skin and washy, sweet black currant fruits. Finishes long, trimmed with lithe acidity, a little willowy and with lathed wood oakiness. Will be unfamiliar to the converted, but does have interest for showing the shadow of a normally very meaty wine from 'difficult' 2009 vintage."
The Wine Front, September 2011
The weather from 2008 vintage has been well
documented although its impact on vintage was widely dramatized and mostly inaccurate. One lingering consequence though was the mindset of the winemaker and grower going into 2009. It was one of caution.
The spring and winter rains were better than they had been in the previous two years, although, the strains of drought where still hard to shift from the front of one's mind. The vines seemed to be in good spirits. The crop load was modest and at it had to be as the root systems of the older vines had yet to experience the modest season's rain fall and had potential to signal time out with work still to do.
As the viticultural season rounded the last bend, it appeared that again, heat would deal itself in the game and possibly rain, either way it would not be a "pick when you feel" style of year. As maturity loomed it was clear that courage would required as the weather was going to split the season in half. Courage would be required to wait through the potential of bad weather or courage would be required to pick in advance. With older vineyards that ripen and mature earlier the instinct was to pick before and bank it. The call has had a huge influence on the OB style for 2009.
The decision to harvest earlier meant some rudimentary changes needed to be made to the winemaking methods. This was mostly in the use of warmer ferments and tighter oak selection. It was a harder wine to make as it didn't really declare itself for about 18 months. All faith was with the site and the wines it had delivered in the past.
Colour: Red enough
Nose: Bright and welcoming, but still an eye of fruit that is hard to un-wind. What can be seen though is a bowl of red fruits, ink with a streak of fresh rhubarb. The oak leaves a scent of Arabic spice market, not too strong though
Palate: As the first sip enters the palate it is with bright structured acid. The acid is soft and milk chocolate like, it has some shape and texture of its own. After the acid rests and prepares the tongue, a nice glow of fruits emerge, not too dis-similar to the aroma, but pomegranate and rhubarb prevail. The finish is of superfine talc like tannins, mostly from the fruit but a little wood tannin can be detected but will meld with time.
Notes: This is a very restrained style of OB, backwards in that the palate structure is opposite to older vintages with its acid lead instead of fruit, backwards in that it reaches back to the Barossa styles of the 80's and backwards in that it will require time to unfold. Its lines and purity suggest to me that it has plenty of foundation to support bottle age and I suspect that unlike the 2008, this wine will evolve with bottle age being its key feature. I think it could be a genuine 30 years prospect.
Kaesler Wines
Country:
Australia
Region:
SA- Barossa Valley
Variety:
Wine Red - Shiraz
Size:
750mL
