150 Year Old Vines 1858 Field Blend 2017
Tasting Notes

Lovely floral and spicy complexities, with hints of fruits of the forest,  pepper and ginger snap. The palate displays the full range of dark berries, Mediterranean herbs, and savoury pan jus elements. It is tight and compact, intense and deep, firm and taut, with nicely measured grip and tremendous length. A powerhouse of a wine, but also one possessed of great elegance.

Winemaking

The grapes are destemmed and fermented in a small open stainless steel fermenter over 10 days. We gently hand plunge the must several times per day for gentle extraction of aromas, colour and tannins.

Upon completion of fermentation, the wine is then basket-pressed and allowed to naturally complete malolactic fermentation, before 18 months’ maturation in French oak puncheons.  Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 

Vineyard

One of the oldest field blends in the world of Grenache, Mourvedre and Malbec planted in 1858. This small block in Springton in the Eden Valley is home to classified ‘Ancestor’ vines, dry grown as bush vines on their original rootstock.

The block yields just over 1 ton of grapes in the best of vintages, which are hand-picked into small picking baskets to optimize fruit health. 

Reviews
92 Points
Review by: Andrew Caillard MW
Medium deep crimson. Fragrant raspberry, dried apricot, dark plum aromas with dark chocolate, butterscotch. Developed raspberry, dark plum, stone fruit, pipe tobacco, polished leather notes, fine al dente/bitter tannins and underlying savoury oak notes. Finishes chalky/ muscular firm with attractive developed fruit and maturation characters flowing through. From the historic c1858-planted Stonegarden Vineyard in the Eden Valley and comprising grenache, mataro and malbec amongst possibly others. Drinking well now but should hold for a while. Drink now – 2030+
98 Points
Review by: Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
A totally seductive offering made from grenache, mourvedre and malbec planted in 1858. On the nose it’s perfumed and complex with dark plum, mulberry, dried herb, anise and spicy oak aromas. The palate exhibits gracefully flowing mouthfeel, wonderfully enhanced by sweet fruit intensity and savoury nuances backed by fine chalky tannins. Sensual and powerful at once. At its best: 2024 to 2043
95 Points
Review by: Stuart Knox, The Real Review
Deep ruby colour with a brick-red rim. Dark berries, bayleaf and wood-polish on the nose. Incredible intensity yet the palate doesn't sit heavy. A spice melange keeps morphing across the flavour spectrum that is accentuated by velvet gloved tannins. Goes on and on into the finish where it fans out and lingers for an eternity. Peak drinking: 2021-2036
93 Points
Review by: Angus Hughson, Wine Pilot
Here we have a little taste of history made from some of the oldest vines in the Barossa. And as often occurred at the time, wineries planted a fruit salad of grape varieties as they searched for the best fit, which is why we have the unusual blend of Grenache, Mourvedre and Malbec. It’s more Barossa Valley in character than overtly varietal with none of the grape varieties standing out too much. But it is still packed full of complexity and showing some age with an array of roasted meat, soy sauce, baked earth, spice, dried herbs and cedar aromas. A bold and dense palate follows, again savoury and spicy, but showing good mid-palate flesh and supple tannins before moving on to a long and supple finish. Enjoy this sooner rather than later.

 

Other Vintages
2013 |  2015 |  2016 |  2018 | 
WINEMAKER
Neville Rowe
COLOUR
Red
BOUQUET
Berry & forest f oor
PALATE
Rich & full with sweet fruit.
GRAPE VARIETY
Grenache, Mourvedre, Malbec
GROWING REGION
Barossa Valley
MATURATION
15 months in 3 & 4 year old French oak

 

 

Tasting Notes

Lovely floral and spicy complexities, with hints of fruits of the forest,  pepper and ginger snap. The palate displays the full range of dark berries, Mediterranean herbs, and savoury pan jus elements. It is tight and compact, intense and deep, firm and taut, with nicely measured grip and tremendous length. A powerhouse of a wine, but also one possessed of great elegance.

Winemaking

The grapes are destemmed and fermented in a small open stainless steel fermenter over 10 days. We gently hand plunge the must several times per day for gentle extraction of aromas, colour and tannins.

Upon completion of fermentation, the wine is then basket-pressed and allowed to naturally complete malolactic fermentation, before 18 months’ maturation in French oak puncheons.  Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 

Vinification

One of the oldest field blends in the world of Grenache, Mourvedre and Malbec planted in 1858. This small block in Springton in the Eden Valley is home to classified ‘Ancestor’ vines, dry grown as bush vines on their original rootstock.

The block yields just over 1 ton of grapes in the best of vintages, which are hand-picked into small picking baskets to optimize fruit health. 

Reviews
92 Points

Score: 92 Points
Review by: Andrew Caillard MW
Medium deep crimson. Fragrant raspberry, dried apricot, dark plum aromas with dark chocolate, butterscotch. Developed raspberry, dark plum, stone fruit, pipe tobacco, polished leather notes, fine al dente/bitter tannins and underlying savoury oak notes. Finishes chalky/ muscular firm with attractive developed fruit and maturation characters flowing through. From the historic c1858-planted Stonegarden Vineyard in the Eden Valley and comprising grenache, mataro and malbec amongst possibly others. Drinking well now but should hold for a while. Drink now – 2030+

98 Points
Review by: Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
A totally seductive offering made from grenache, mourvedre and malbec planted in 1858. On the nose it’s perfumed and complex with dark plum, mulberry, dried herb, anise and spicy oak aromas. The palate exhibits gracefully flowing mouthfeel, wonderfully enhanced by sweet fruit intensity and savoury nuances backed by fine chalky tannins. Sensual and powerful at once. At its best: 2024 to 2043

95 Points
Review by: Stuart Knox, The Real Review
Deep ruby colour with a brick-red rim. Dark berries, bayleaf and wood-polish on the nose. Incredible intensity yet the palate doesn't sit heavy. A spice melange keeps morphing across the flavour spectrum that is accentuated by velvet gloved tannins. Goes on and on into the finish where it fans out and lingers for an eternity. Peak drinking: 2021-2036

93 Points

Score: 93 Points
Review by: Angus Hughson, Wine Pilot
Here we have a little taste of history made from some of the oldest vines in the Barossa. And as often occurred at the time, wineries planted a fruit salad of grape varieties as they searched for the best fit, which is why we have the unusual blend of Grenache, Mourvedre and Malbec. It’s more Barossa Valley in character than overtly varietal with none of the grape varieties standing out too much. But it is still packed full of complexity and showing some age with an array of roasted meat, soy sauce, baked earth, spice, dried herbs and cedar aromas. A bold and dense palate follows, again savoury and spicy, but showing good mid-palate flesh and supple tannins before moving on to a long and supple finish. Enjoy this sooner rather than later.

 

Other Vintages
2013 |  2015 |  2016 |  2018 | 
WINEMAKER
Neville Rowe
COLOUR
Red
BOUQUET
Berry & forest f oor
PALATE
Rich & full with sweet fruit.
GRAPE VARIETY
Grenache, Mourvedre, Malbec
GROWING REGION
Barossa Valley
MATURATION
15 months in 3 & 4 year old French oak

 

 

BACK TO TOP OF PAGE