Standish Wine Co The Standish 2021

Very deep colour and remarkably vivid considering the presumably long period in wood. There is bright purple towards the rim, fading from the deep blackness of the core, suggesting the inclusion of whole bunches. Intense aromatics, florals, black fruits, sweet and savoury spice. It’s not overly complex at present but the flavours are utterly captivating and the palate so tightly wound that there is no doubt about the greatness of it’s future.

Full bodied and concentrated, utterly classic Barossa, with a serpentine shape the texture and tannins so powerful and slick they remind me of greased mechanics. Everything is so sweet and textured, without any drying edges, tang or chew. Mouthwatering and fresh, the finish absorbing, the fruit in complete lockstep with the tannins. Long on flavour, like the drifting smoke in a Turner, shimmering and ephemeral. One of Australia’s greatest wines. Waters Wine Co

The 2021 The Standish Shiraz was made with fruit from the Laycock family vineyard, Greenock, with 30% whole bunches in the ferment. The Standish Shiraz was the first cuvée launched by Dan Standish in 1999, and the wine is routinely typified by its muscular tannin shape and earthy, savory fruit. The most attractive part of this wine is the splay of exotic market spice (namely sumac, black pepper, star anise and fresh cardamom) that sails in on the coattails of the red/purple fruit. It has all the exoticism and romance of a hike through the mountains of Morocco, yet it, perhaps more than any other wine in the collection, speaks of the Barossa in a clear enunciated voice.

So, where does it fit in 2021? The 2021 The Standish Shiraz is finer, prettier and lighter than I have ever seen it at this stage of its life. It has all the spice and Barossan identity that is expected; however, it misses the dense baritone of fruit that is present in earlier iterations. Whether you think that is a positive or not is up to you—I am fond of this wine throughout all its incarnations. Vintage variation is responsible for the spark of curiosity and joy that I experience every year during this release, and the real triumph in 2021 is the ability of the vineyard (this vineyard) to shine through the season that shaped it. 14.9% alcohol. 96 Points – Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate

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