Shiraz / Syrah

Perched high up on the hillside of the Eden Valley, this beautifully positioned vineyard is surrounded by ancient Yaccas. Yacca Block sits at the top of Menglers Hill and is a prime example of the role sub-regionality plays in serious winemaking, with this vineyard only a 25 minutes drive from the western ranges of the Barossa Valley. The soil here is a mix of both quartz and ironstone and the vineyard’s high altitude allows for slow ripening that leads to a very soft and elegant shiraz.

Summer Clearance Special - Buy 12 bottles or more and save £89.40 - only £27.50 per bottle

97+ - 98 Points - Stuart McCloskey “I am not persuaded by my opening sentence, “And now to the most structured of the trio” - this is particularly evident when you dive straight in. The bouquet is intense with a Smörgåsbord of ripe, black fruits – blackberry, blueberry, violet and potpourri come rushing from the glass whilst minerals, Indian ink, liquorice and traces of brine and kelp provide unfathomable layers of complexity. I like how the wine builds in intensity – every swirl of the glass provides a new facet to consider. The fruit radiates but with a degree of restraint – the wine feels tighter and perhaps more classical compared to the single varietals. I detect more mineralité and tension – lovely freshness too. Perhaps less flamboyant than the other two. Regal and beautiful - a wine which provides precision and has no need to show off. For many, this will be irresistible in its youth, but a decade in bottle will provide exquisite drinking.  I certainly prefer this to my original sample. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon 30% Shiraz. Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware.” Sampled 21 July 2021.

97+ - 98 Points - Stuart McCloskey “I am not persuaded by my opening sentence, “And now to the most structured of the trio” - this is particularly evident when you dive straight in. The bouquet is intense with a Smörgåsbord of ripe, black fruits – blackberry, blueberry, violet and potpourri come rushing from the glass whilst minerals, Indian ink, liquorice and traces of brine and kelp provide unfathomable layers of complexity. I like how the wine builds in intensity – every swirl of the glass provides a new facet to consider. The fruit radiates but with a degree of restraint – the wine feels tighter and perhaps more classical compared to the single varietals. I detect more mineralité and tension – lovely freshness too. Perhaps less flamboyant than the other two. Regal and beautiful - a wine which provides precision and has no need to show off. For many, this will be irresistible in its youth, but a decade in bottle will provide exquisite drinking.  I certainly prefer this to my original sample. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon 30% Shiraz. Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware.” Sampled 21 July 2021.

Standish 2020 Four Bottle Pack

Contains one 75cl bottle of each:

• 2020 Standish The Standish
• 2020 Standish The Relic
• 2020 Standish Lamella
• 2020 Standish The Schubert Theorem

98 Points - Erin Larkin, RobertParker.com "The 2020 The Schubert Theorem Shiraz was made with fruit from the Roennfeldt Road vineyard in Marananga, with 70% whole bunches in the ferment. This is the only cuvée in the collection that sees any inclusion of a different maturation vessel: the northeastern corner of the vineyard goes into concrete, because it retains the pure blue fruit characters that so define the wine. When one considers the dirt that is in this vineyard (and I ask you, without dirt, just where would we all be?), when one sees its black, shaley sparkle, one can get a sense of what to expect in the wine. It is always the black, brooding beast of the pack, but there is always—and I repeat, ALWAYS—a core of very pure fruit at its heart. This year is no different, and it is encased in fine but structuring tannin. It soars long across the palate, and yet within it, this wine is elegant and pliable. If the Lamella is the intriguing, pretty wine, and The Standish is the savory powerhouse, then The Relic is the iron fist–velvet glove... which makes this the enigma. I cannot overstate how attracted I am to the prowling, slinking nature of it. The tannins here—of all the wines—have a blueberry skin gravel to them; they are chalky and fine and a little bit gritty… excellent. This is a sensation, in every respect. A hot contender for best wine in the release this year.

99 Points - Erin Larkin, RobertParker.com "The 2020 The Relic Shiraz-Viognier is made with fruit from the Hongell family vineyard in Krondorf, with 15% to 20% whole bunches in the ferment and 1% Viognier skins co-fermented. This is the best I’ve seen it. There’s something about the combination of the hot year and the diminished yields—it has recoiled and recompressed the Viognier on top of and into the Shiraz and brought them into balance/harmony. Beneath its floral and stone fruit guiles is a pool of savory, muscular, red-dirt Shiraz. There is bacon fat and pure berry fruit and spice for days… I’ve recently looked at a previous vintage of this wine alongside an older but immaculate Chateau d’Ampuis, and while their origins were clear in the glass, the Relic proved an Australian perspective more than relevant. The balance between the varieties—and the classic push/pull of sweet and savory—is more harmonious this year than in any I can remember, and the only thing I am more excited about when I consider this wine is what I will say next year, through the lens of an excellent, cool and elegant year. What a fine pair they will make."

99-100 Points  - Stuart McCloskey “The Standish was noticeably more approachable (48 hours in the decanter) and reminds me a little of the 2019, albeit with a touch more charge. The bouquet is mesmerising and delivers an intoxicating mix of saturated black and blue pastille fruits, crème de mûre, mulberry, Indian ink, violet and lavender. There’s a noticeable brininess overtone to all the fruit. Sea kelp and graphite are a marriage made in heaven… The palate glides like silk – not a hair out of place. The unerring sense of purity and sensuality is overwhelming. Exquisite, in a word. My notes are flowing with more ease suggesting accessibility. That said, this still needs 5-8 years and will be at its best in 20-25 years. Full-bodied, supremely balanced - tannins are firming. The fruit is wonderfully pure, luscious, extravagant and provides a wonderful rich lacquer-feel inside of the mouth. This is an incredible release and I can sense my tasting note is gaining pace – bewildering. Polished, dark fruits in abundance, cloaked with saline, graphite, licorice and mocha. Wonderfully intense and decadent. The finish is never-ending and keeps giving. Dried, blood orange after minutes… Bloody amazing. Truly, so. Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware.”

Seventh Son Grenache Shiraz is quite a different wine for Mitolo and a commitment to the McLaren Vale region and its most revered varieties. The Grenache portion, sourced from old bush vines off the sands of Blewitt Springs, provides rustic, lighter, earthier flavours than the fruit forward, softer Shiraz portion sourced from the Lopresti vineyards. When blended together though these opposites provide a great foil for each other, creating a complex and intriguing wine. There is no new oak influence in this wine, with older oak barrels chosen for the èlevage. The tannins are sandy, almost gritty, helped along by the tiny dollop of Sagrantino, a little Italian twist on a classic blend from southern France and McLaren Vale. This is a wine made more in the earthy style of the wines of Mitolos European heritage, yet still speaks loudly of place, McLaren vale, with its generosity and purity.

95 Points, Sam Kim, Wine Orbit “Fabulously ripe and offering excellent fruit purity, the wine shows perfumed aromas of black/blueberry, violet, dark cocoa and roasted nut on the nose with a hint of spicy overtone. The palate displays superb concentration and richly textured mouthfeel, wonderfully supported by fleshy texture and velvety tannins, making it delectably satisfying.”

Stuart McCloskey “In two words - Cooling and soothing best describes the bouquet along with dried tea leaves, graphite, kelp, saddle leather, Indian ink, plum and spiced black fruits. I detect a little waft of iodine too. To me, simply lovely and I am very happy. Everything about the ’16 is modest and effortless. It’s one of those wines which makes you want to light the fire and open a good book. The palate flows to the same soulful and pleasing tune. Filigree tannins provide the faintest hug of grip. No, it’s not overly complex, yet there is no disappointment. The fruit is generous, edged with sweetness with a little woodsmoke – a rounded lusciousness with a lift of minty freshness. Blackberry, brambly / hedgerow fruit, violet, tobacco, mint and cedar. From start to finish, this flows with absolute enjoyment and so much prettiness. It’s faultless. Focus on the tasting note and not the lack of a score (it’s an in-house test!). Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware. Decant for an hour or so. Drinking now to 2028.”

Delivery ETA to UK August 2022

17.5 Points - Tamlyn Currin, JancisRobinson.com "This smells so good: fresh black pepper (so fresh it’s like peppercorns straight from the drying mats). Deep, delicious, meaty sweet fruit. Violets, daphne with a blue-purple-fruited lusciousness and yet the wine is, at the same time, dry and savoury. Grounded yet ethereal. Determined yet open. Muscled tight yet fluid. Extraordinary ying-yang balance of opposite but complementary forces."

96 points - Ray Jordan, The West Australian "A 20 per cent inclusion of whole bunch fermentation has played a strong hand in elevating this beautiful example of the quality of the 2019 vintage. It has such life and vibrancy and that is largely due to that whole bunch inclusion. Brilliant, bright colour with hues of crimson and purple on the fringes. The palate is in that medium zone, with an effortlessly graceful ease about it. Spicy and perfumed with a mix of cherry and plum. Oak, which is a mix of one, two and new oaks, is brilliantly managed to gently coax all that is good from this variety. Love the mouth feel and the long, focused chalky feel in the mouth."

Stuart McCloskey "The Majella sparkling Shiraz has a lovely mousse / palate feel and sings loud and proud. The base wine is matured in 2nd and 3rd use French oak hogsheads for 5 months before secondary fermentation. The wine is on “lees” for 12 months and using méthode traditionnelle, the bottles are hand riddled, then disgorged with a small dash of vintage port."

95 Points - Joe Czerwinski "The 2019 Anaperenna Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon is an 84-16 blend, all sourced from the northern end of the Barossa Valley. Bottled in October 2020 and scheduled to be released in October 2021, it features lovely lift and delicate herbal nuances on the nose, plus hints of red and black currants and blackberries. Full-bodied and supple, it's also crisp, long and velvety on the finish, picking up delicious nuances of vanilla, dark chocolate and bright, fresh fruit."

97-98 Points - Stuart McCloskey "This has been opened for 48 hours (although not decanted) and sampled after the Obsidian. The bouquet pulls you in as the fruit is incredibly deep and brooding – extraordinary concentration. In short, the palate is broad and loaded with ripe, black fruits – the tannins are suede like. The overall feel is impeccable and moreish and a very different animal compared to the Obsidian. In long, this straddles potency and finesse, with a masterful touch – quite a skill. There’s a date-like richness with minerality and florality, providing lift. This flows with charisma and ribbons of silk, those seeking textural paradise need to look no further.  I will add a caveat – the tannins do provide a framework which keep building, but I believe this is very much needed to balance the plushness. Yet again, this is driven by purity and nothing dominates. There’s a stony minerality which is fascinating and works a treat alongside the dark, inky fruit. A magnificent wine and one which will keep delivering for a decade or more… Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware." Sampled July 2021.

These bottles represent the pinnacle of our rather impressive range. We have personally scored every bottle in this case at least 97 points so we’re confident that you will be beyond impressed with every one of these six different Australian Shiraz bottles. This is a great starting point for tasting the immense quality of Shiraz currently being produced by our talented Australian winemakers. Our own tasting notes for each of the wines in the case can be found below and they provide the perfect description of each wine.

• 1 x 2019 Utopos Shiraz (98 points)
• 1 x 2018 Vinden Fountainhead Shiraz (97+ points)
• 1 x 2018 Wild Duck Creek Cornella Shiraz (97+ points)
• 1 x 2019 JC's Own Greenock Shiraz (97-98 points)
• 1 x 2019 Gemtree Wines Ernest Allan Shiraz (97-98 points)
• 1 x 2018 John's Blend Margarete's Shiraz (98 points)

99 Points - Stuart McCloskey “I feel an emotional charge each time I open and sample any wine from Standish. That’s a rare quality. The bouquet is a beautiful symphony which gently weaves its way through Autumnal notes, blood, rusty iron, violets and graphite. It comes across dark and the fruit brooding. Blueberry and plum compote adding a little sweetness. There’s spice and espresso too – sweet and exotic. Wait five minutes and enjoy the salinity / sea kelp. The palate is on another level, in fact, to most Aussie Shiraz. Supremely complex and multi-layered – the mouthfeel impersonates silk. The density akin to double cream. The flow of fruit is plush, pure and utterly seamless – acidity and freshness provided judiciously and are perfectly judged. I like how the tannins grip. From there, this soars on and only finishes when you fall asleep… Epic, in a word. Drink now (decant for 12-hours) to 2040+. Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware. Sampled 24 Nov 2021.”

99-100 Points - Stuart McCloskey “The ’19 Lamella is without question a powerful and concentrated release. The bouquet offers warm earth, espresso, violet, mineral, lead pencil, bay leaf, dried herbs wrapped in a blanket of concentred black raspberry and dark, brambly fruits. Iron ore and that unmissable drift of marine unfurl beautifully along with a stronger accent of graphite. The palate is, as one would expect, full bodied and hurtles forward with enormous power and the backbone of a blue whale. This is monolithic in stature, but the wine’s symmetry is masterful – the breadth, depth and length all categorised as ‘incredible.’ The oak is seamlessly integrated, the balance perfect and the acidity adding a faultless nip of freshness. Waves of multi layered black fruits infused with minerals, with glimpses of lavender emerging. There’s an exotic quality to the fruit which adds to the hedonistic pleasure. The sheen is to die for and I love the textural brilliance. It’s one of those rare wines which leaves you in amazement. Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware. Drinking window; Alas, this is one for the cellar and requires a decade to unfurl, but and with 24 hours in the decanter, this will provide you with a special moment in your life. This will be perfect in 20-30 years and will live on for 50-70 years (if not a century).”

Trophy Winner Yarra Valley Wine Show 2020

(Best other single red varieties and their blends)

Winemaking 
Whole berry fermentation was encouraged with both varieties to encourage a fleshy fruit-full palate. Gentle hand-plunging twice daily for minimal tannin extraction. The individual components spent 9 months in old French oak barriques in the underground cellar before blending and bottling.

94 Points - Jay Miller (robertparker.com) "The 2006 Pressings Shiraz Caravan of Dreams was aged for 18 months in new American oak. It offers an expressive nose of cedar, spice box, pencil lead, game, and blueberry compote. Dense, full-bodied, and structured on the palate, it has a big core of concentrated, savory blue and black fruit, with pepper and chocolate notes making an appearance. Give it 6-8 years of additional cellaring and drink it from 2015 to 2030."

99-100 Points  - Stuart McCloskey “The Standish was noticeably more approachable (48 hours in the decanter) and reminds me a little of the 2019, albeit with a touch more charge. The bouquet is mesmerising and delivers an intoxicating mix of saturated black and blue pastille fruits, crème de mûre, mulberry, Indian ink, violet and lavender. There’s a noticeable brininess overtone to all the fruit. Sea kelp and graphite are a marriage made in heaven… The palate glides like silk – not a hair out of place. The unerring sense of purity and sensuality is overwhelming. Exquisite, in a word. My notes are flowing with more ease suggesting accessibility. That said, this still needs 5-8 years and will be at its best in 20-25 years. Full-bodied, supremely balanced - tannins are firming. The fruit is wonderfully pure, luscious, extravagant and provides a wonderful rich lacquer-feel inside of the mouth. This is an incredible release and I can sense my tasting note is gaining pace – bewildering. Polished, dark fruits in abundance, cloaked with saline, graphite, licorice and mocha. Wonderfully intense and decadent. The finish is never-ending and keeps giving. Dried, blood orange after minutes… Bloody amazing. Truly, so. Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware.”

Dan Standish "Darker red fruit spectrum – red liquorice, raspberries and pomegranate. Christmas spice and mocha, structured firming mouthfeel. Finishes with a freshness and taught completeness."

99 Points - Stuart McCloskey “I feel an emotional charge each time I open and sample any wine from Standish. That’s a rare quality. The bouquet is a beautiful symphony which gently weaves its way through Autumnal notes, blood, rusty iron, violets and graphite. It comes across dark and the fruit brooding. Blueberry and plum compote adding a little sweetness. There’s spice and espresso too – sweet and exotic. Wait five minutes and enjoy the salinity / sea kelp. The palate is on another level, in fact, to most Aussie Shiraz. Supremely complex and multi-layered – the mouthfeel impersonates silk. The density akin to double cream. The flow of fruit is plush, pure and utterly seamless – acidity and freshness provided judiciously and are perfectly judged. I like how the tannins grip. From there, this soars on and only finishes when you fall asleep… Epic, in a word. Drink now (decant for 12-hours) to 2040+. Served using Zalto Bordeaux glassware. Sampled 24 Nov 2021.”

98 Points - Erin Larkin, RobertParker.com "The 2020 The Schubert Theorem Shiraz was made with fruit from the Roennfeldt Road vineyard in Marananga, with 70% whole bunches in the ferment. This is the only cuvée in the collection that sees any inclusion of a different maturation vessel: the northeastern corner of the vineyard goes into concrete, because it retains the pure blue fruit characters that so define the wine. When one considers the dirt that is in this vineyard (and I ask you, without dirt, just where would we all be?), when one sees its black, shaley sparkle, one can get a sense of what to expect in the wine. It is always the black, brooding beast of the pack, but there is always—and I repeat, ALWAYS—a core of very pure fruit at its heart. This year is no different, and it is encased in fine but structuring tannin. It soars long across the palate, and yet within it, this wine is elegant and pliable. If the Lamella is the intriguing, pretty wine, and The Standish is the savory powerhouse, then The Relic is the iron fist–velvet glove... which makes this the enigma. I cannot overstate how attracted I am to the prowling, slinking nature of it. The tannins here—of all the wines—have a blueberry skin gravel to them; they are chalky and fine and a little bit gritty… excellent. This is a sensation, in every respect. A hot contender for best wine in the release this year.