Daniel P. Drake

9.5

Hello everyone! It is Friday and we need to celebrate the weekend. So tonight I have started the celebration with the 2013 Yalumba The Signature Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz. The blend is 54% Cabernet Sauvignon and 46% Shiraz.

On the nose there is black cherry, black raspberry, black currant, mint, hints of meat, chocolate, spice and cedar.

Across my palate there are notes of black cherry, black raspberry, black plum, black currant, spice and graphite.

This is a full bodied wine with a drying mouthfeel medium + acidity and medium + fine sand paper tannins that leads to a long black fruit graphite finish. I wish everyone a wonderful weekend. Please stay safe and be healthy. Nostrovia! 🍷🍷🍷🍷 — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

Happy Valentines Day!

If you have not looked for this wine on WineSearcher.com or other, you should. Dan Standish has no American Importer. However, you can mail order off his list. Good luck with the Australian/United States import costs. Very prohibited.

Most quality Barossa wines take 15 years in bottle to show their ultimate beauty. Dan’s wines are no different. His Estate vines are 100 years old and produce 500 pounds of fruit per acre...very concentrated. Contrast that to extremely expensive & high quality Napa fruit, those Napa producers are at 2,000-2,500 pounds per acre.

We visited Standish in April 2017. We found Dan to be extremely talented & definitely marches to his own drum. He is salt of the earth and has traveled & worked in many of the world wine regions honing his craft and landing as Torbreck’s Winemaker in Barossa before starting, “The Standish Wine Company.”

As good as the 04 is tonight, it has 15 years of good life ahead...properly stored of course.

The nose is very intoxicating. It is a nice blend of purple, black & blue fruits. Mulberries, olallieberries, boysenberries, black plums, plums, blackberries, dark cherries, deeply extracted raspberries, some baked strawberries, black licorice to anise, dark fruit cola, black olive skin, medium dark spice, black pepper, charcoal, graphite, dry tobacco & underbrush, some bay leaf, alluvial soils, grey volcanic minerals/limestone with fresh & only slightly withering, purple, dark, blue florals framed in violets & lavender.

The body is full, rich, ripe, lush and creamy on the palate after a two-hour plus decant. The structure, tension, length and balance are a little short of its peak and will hold there for 5-8 years. It’s a glorious glide on the palate. The fruits are ripe & lightly baked. Mulberries, olallieberries, boysenberries, black plums, plums, blackberries, dark cherries, deeply extracted raspberries, some baked strawberries, cherry kirsch, red & black licorice to anise, dark fruit cola, black olive skin, the dark spices are heavier on the palate & bring just the right amount of heat, sweet, dark tarriness, black pepper, used, dark expresso roast grounds, charcoal, graphite, dry tobacco & underbrush, some bay leaf, alluvial soils, grey volcanic minerals/limestone, moist clay, with fresh & only slightly withering, purple, dark, blue florals framed in violets & lavender. The acidity is round, flush & perfect. The long finish is a unique even balance of; lush fruits, spice, herbs and earth that persists on the palate for minutes.

Photo on the left of Sofia’s 2 dozen long stems. Love you so much!

@Oswald — 6 years ago

Stanislav Lobanov

9.0

16.5/20 (90/100) Вино с ароматами чёрных ягод и фруктов, имбирных пряников, ванили, кожи и копченостей. Довольно тельное со свежей кислотностью и мягкими, гладкими по текстуре танинами. Ягодное во вкусе. Классика. — 9 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Nose of; black currants. Burnt ambers, black plum, plum, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries & warm liquid black licorice. Palate fruits are again the same as the nose. Warm rising intensity spices, baking spices; cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, the core flavor of anise, tarry notes, fresh violets, dry dark florals, crushed dry rocks, rich dark soil, soft leather. Finishes big and lush dark fruits, warm spice and beautiful acidity. I also had their 12 of out half bottle at Vintners restaurant. Really good and at an amazing QPR. If you can find them in 375ml, you should see them at a great price. Photos are further shots of the tasting room and grounds. — 9 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.6

Holy smokes. Such an elegant wine, brooding black fruit, solid oak presence, meaty, spicy, peppery, silk tannins, long finish. Needs a good decant.

If the 12' Mt. Edelstone's this good, what more the HOG! Must try. — 9 years ago

Jessie

9.5

Friend gave it to us... great stuff — 10 years ago

Carsten Rudolph

9.3

Once again a fantastic wine from Ben Glaetzer! Full of black berries ready to drink — 10 years ago

Mark Calkin

9.2

Old vine Barossa Shriraz Rhone blend, with a name poking some fun at its Old World Heritage. I love these GSM blends, typically this is pronounced, ripe - black cherry, strawberry/raspberry with violets, vanilla and toast, mushroom and forest floor developing notes. Long finish, full body and high alcohol. Outstanding — 11 years ago

Nic Gautreaux

9.3

Old and just on the edge...but so so good! Just in time and I'm glad I was there...yup. — 11 years ago

with Mark

J Chechik

9.3

Been a while since my last Kaesler & stumbled across this by accident. 17yrs old & “STRONG LIKE BULL!” 😆
Plenty of rich, anise/black cherry to carry w/ the oak. This could go another 7-10yrs...or so it seemed! An impressive wine. — 6 years ago

Chris Monahan

9.0

Love this paired with beef barley salad! The wine displays ample aromas and rich flavors of blackberry, dried blueberries, black cherries and vanilla along with floral notes. — 6 years ago

Jeremy Pollard

9.0

Really nice wine from an underrated vintage. Tight, juicy, ripe red and black berries, some black pepper and baking spices and a focussed tannin and acid structure. Should keep improving for some time to come. — 8 years ago

with Sam

Simon Gilligan

9.5

Bidding farewell to my Barossan big red sentimental favourite. Last bottle, ripe black fruits, tarry and savoury with grainy tannin. Long finish. — 8 years ago

Paul J

9.3

Steve G's Retirement Celebration!! — 8 years ago

with Steve

Emily Kresie-Harrington

9.4

2005 vintage. Mature and in excellent condition. Stewed black cherries, black plum, raspberry, stale nutmeg and clove, caramelized sugar, stale potpourri, dried lavender, dried thyme, light hint of dried coconut. Excellent right out of the bottle and held its form for several hours until finished. 80 Shiraz 20 Cabernet Sauvignon. — 9 years ago

James P Grover

9.1

Black cherries and currants, with sour grape acidity. There's just a slight note of grass and flowers. There's also black pepper and a little heat. The minerality is indistinct, maybe just a little dry earth and salt. Tannins are medium plus. I liked this with spicy pinto beans and squash. — 9 years ago

Stuart Robinson

9.3

NV, 2016 disgorgement: beautiful brambly black fruit nose, touch of black cherry and even a little spice/almond paste.

Smooth, velvety, an elegance with a depth bringing up the rear. Effortless in its delivery, exquisite in its form. #flowerday #BD — 10 years ago

John Zuzek

9.1

Shiraz (80%) Cab blend. Dark and brooding. Black raspberry and boysenberry on the nose. The palate is big, with notes of blackberry, black raspberry, and baking spices. — 10 years ago

Joel Holland

9.0

This is one of my go to favorites. I put it up there with Shotfire as a well priced go to bottle. 

Nose: smells great right out of the bottle--nice deep dark fruit with a bold and round smell of wood. I smell black cherry (though not too sweet) and cedar. Almost more wood and smoke than berry. Bold and full. 9/10

Taste: Bold, smooth and mouth watering. First thing that hits the mouth is pepper--nice and tangy. Then black cherry, but subtle. Nice long aftertaste of wood.  9/10 — 11 years ago

Mathias Rauscher

9.3

Black Pepper, black currant, blueberry blackberry, coal, bacon, smoke, dark chocolate and a little menthol, soft tannins with great acidity and a long finish. Still young with great potential for years to come. — 11 years ago

Lam S

9.4

fruity mainly black fruit. vanila nose with spice.not oaky. full body. medium bold. very soft tannin and adequate acidity. very well balanced. — 6 years ago

Neil Valenzuela

9.1

Deep purple color. Aromas of pencil, blackberry jam and cocoa powder. Rich, black fruit on the palate, pepper and smoked cedar finish. Superb! — 6 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.3

Black tar, licorice, little bit of fig on the nose and palate. This wine would have been best enjoyed alone vs in a lineup like this. Would have loved to have opened this up alongside a buffalo ribeye or saucy game dish. Better after an hour of being open but initially the notes on this one are a bit muted and very VERY dark. Given some oxidation this one shows well, but unfortunately Dan's potato chips and wasabi nuts were not the best to make this shine appropriately. — 8 years ago

with Dan and Trent

Bob McDonald

9.4

Aromas of dark chocolate, black cherry and mocha. Very much like a Penfolds Barossa Shiraz. A rich full bodied red wine with some pruney notes. Some Liquorice/aniseed and bitterness which is a nice counterpoint to the rich fruit. Oak is there but more in balance with the fruit after 9 years of age. I really enjoyed this wine. No wonder Penfolds are killing it in China with Wines like this. — 8 years ago

Ryan Guy

9.2

Hazy in the glass. Sexy, silky mulberry, raspberry, and black peppercorn. Fruit dominate nose, but still fresh, bordering on bruised. Palate is medium weight, driving by mouth-watering acidity with strawberry preserves. Finish does taper a little quick. In a great place now, doesn’t feel like it will last much longer. — 9 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.6

2010 vintage. Deep ruby hue. Amazing nose of white pepper, Chinese spice, black fruits and cocoa beans. Complex despite its youth. On the palate, medium acidity, medium plus body and alcohol, medium ripe silky tannins, full concentration and long finish. Extremely promising. Drink 2022 until 2040. — 9 years ago

"Odedi"

9.4

Celebrating New Year's Eve with a gorgeous Shiraz from Australia. Happy New Year all!

Dark inky in color with a dark purple rim.

Strong Napa nose, fruity with lots of vanilla and blackberries, black currants, sweet cherries, raisins, oak, licorice, spices, chocolates, smoke, peppermint, light vegetables, cinnamon and peppercorn.

Full bodied, rich and smooth, with medium acidity and awesome looking legs.

Extremely fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, vanilla, licorice, light cloves, earth, spices and peppercorn.

Long finish with firm tannins, cherries and strong black pepper.

What a great 6 year old this is, with a great mouthfeel, smooth and elegant.
Good right out of the bottle, but much better after a couple of hours in a decanter.

Very heavy on the vanilla for my taste. Reminds me of the 2012 Caymus Cabernet. Would be so much better in 3 years.

I enjoyed it all by itself, but a nice juicy steak would go very well with it too.

Aged for 12 months in French oak barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume. — 10 years ago

Brad Donaldson

9.3

Beautiful sparkling, toasty oak and plum on the nose. Subtle dried fruits on the palate! — 11 years ago

Rebecca Hopkins

PR Folio Fine Wine Partners

9.0

Takes me back to my early Australian wine career, pure stewed plums, blackberry, bay leaf. rich mid palate with black fruit and tobacco. Fabulous length and surprisingly balanced acidity. Benchmark. — 11 years ago

Gregory Fulchiero

9.5

Menthol, spice, mint, and black berry — 13 years ago