Standish The Standish Shiraz 2022 - In Bond

98 Points - Erin Larkin "The 2022 The Standish Shiraz is again providing me with the opportunity to assess bottles two days apart, and how different they are. The freshly opened bottle, as we would all experience upon our first opening, is tight and fresh, with cracked fennel seed, black peppercorns, cumin and ras el'hanout, then dried blueberries and licorice, hints of arnica and raspberry. It's cool and mineral, with a graphite finish. I cannot overstate how much better the wine tastes after two days. All of the edges smooth out, and it is composed and complete ... what a wine. Balance and harmony in a single swoop. It's savory, though. Super. 14.9% alcohol, sealed under natural cork and foil."

Stuart McCloskey “Customarily, the most muscular wine of the quartet and one that always speaks accurately of its terroir. Also, the one that requires more time and understanding as it sadly, doesn’t always offer the same kerb appeal as the others. I decanted all four wines back-to-back. I resisted sampling, but I took a deep inhale, and this was the most exciting wine straight out of the bottle, which is another first as it’s often the most reticent. 

The bouquet is turbo-charged – Schubert Theorem dialled up a notch or two. Beauty and the beast if you like. Marine influences are at play – this time there’s a ‘warmed’ element to their respective fragrance. Perhaps a deeper fragrance of iodine, sea kelp and sea salt would be a better description. The fruit is mineral and spice-driven, black and blue with pastille goodness along with violets and fresh pencil shavings. Wonderfully floral too. A brooding, exotic behemoth being an accurate summary. In time, you’ll see… 

This wine is a perfect marriage of the Barossa and the great wines of Hermitage, Rhône. The palate is distinctly powerful, but and unlike previous releases, the magical 2022 wand has cast a degree of charm. Spiced fruit cake, cocoa and coffee add yin and yang to the palate staining black and blue fruits, which are infused with the most expensive, exotic spices. The ‘spice’ notes are heightened with more aeration. At first, the tannins feel almost hidden, but when you go looking, they do provide some serious grip and add lovely shape and feel to the wine. The palate feel is generous and certainly the most appealing example we have seen, yet it is too young to broach. I recommend 8-10 years, but it is worth opening one bottle just to quell one’s curiosity. Another triumph and the most enjoyable ‘The Standish’ we have experienced. Served using Zalto Burgundy glassware. Drink 2030+ to 2050+. Sampled 26 March 2024.”