2019 The Octavius Old Vines Shiraz

The 2019 The Octavius hails from a warm and dry year. This is the new-release Octavius for Yalumba and comprises 55% Eden Valley fruit, the balance from Barossa Valley. On the nose, the wine is spiced and dark, with torched vanilla pod, salted licorice, blueberry and crushed rocks. The tannins are firm and clench a little through the finish, which is the hallmark of the season in Barossa, as far as I see it. This is a powerful wine that is savory and earthy. 14.5% alcohol, 6.2 total acidity, 3.56 pH, sealed under natural cork.

Full bottle 1,497 g. Beautiful long, shiny cork. Fruit for this wine was selected from five main vineyards across the Barossa. The oldest parcel of Shiraz is hand picked from Eden Valley vines planted in 1854. With an average vine age of 104 years, 55% of this Shiraz is sourced from Eden Valley and 45% from the Barossa Valley. A mild, dry growing season and a summer full of sunshine and dry weather. Matured for 19 months in 25% new French oak hogsheads and barriques, balance in 1-year and older French octaves (100 litre) and barriques. TA 6.22 g/l, pH 3.56. Inky crimson with opaque black core and soft smudgy rim. Openly and invitingly aromatic: black fruit, minty/balsamic and spicy but not overly sweet-smelling. There's a lovely impression of dry, dark rocks with the fruit interwoven. On the palate, the fruit is still to the fore, sweet, black and fragrant, like blackberry rather than cassis. Not too much sign of the oak on the palate except in a very slight dark, lightly charry spice, but is not the oak that you notice. Incredibly smooth, deft tannins – still some firmness to them but without edges – thanks to the oak. Lovely now but still with many years to go. Caressing, silky, long and seductive. It just slips down to a long finish. Not showy but beautiful. (JH)

Fascinating having this alongside the 2009. The tannins here are still silky, but younger and more muscular at five years old, with the fruit clearly sweeter and more dense. Think raspberry and blackberry pastille, still with the through-line of balsamic and liquorice, and here a slab of black chocolate, rosemary and olive pit, with a tar and campfire smoke twist on the finish. Delicious now, but will reward ageing and then some. Harvest February 22 to March 15. Average age of the vines at this point is 104 years, with 55% Eden Valey and 45% Barossa (significantly higher Eden sourcing than was the case a decade earlier). 25% new French oak.