Kaesler Old Bastard Shiraz 2021

Drink now or cellar for up to 20 years. Decant 1 hour before serving. The pioneering Kaesler family first settled in the Barossa Valley in the 1840s and by 1893 they had planted their first vines here. Now, generations later, it is these ancient original vines which have helped put the estate on the map for top quality Shiraz. The current owners practice regenerative farming throughout the estate, a philosophy they consider to be a step beyond sustainable agriculture since it aims to leave the land better than they found it. Old Bastard is the family’s flagship cuvee that’s named in honour of those old gnarly vines which produce the intensely concentrated fruit used for this wine. The grapes are handpicked to ensure quality in the early hours of the morning before it gets too hot. They are then vinified according to the family’s secretive winemaking methods using innovative techniques to create their impressive range of top quality Shiraz wines. The final step is a lengthy maturation period in new and used French oak barrels, adding enticing smoky and spicy notes to the solid core of luscious dark fruit. On the palate there’s a generous full body, firm tannins, and a long finish seasoned with toast, woodsmoke, cedar, and crushed wild berries.