Description
“A 6th generation Barossan, Dan Standish established his eponymous winery in 1999 whilst still working as winemaker at Torbreck Vintners. His endeavour initially began around an ancient parcel of Shiraz owned and farmed by his father. Due to family upheaval this source is now gone but has been supplemented by various sites throughout the Barossa Region that he has identified as significant and unique.All batches of fruit are fermented and matured individually then follows a strict selection in the winery that can see as much as 80% of the original blend discarded and sold off in bulk. As with the finest producers in Europe only the finest material is sold under the Standish Wine Company label.
“Stylistically Dan’s wines are as profound as you would expect from Barossa Valley old vines but they have a satin texture and dreamy perfume that sets them far apart from his contemporaries. Here, dark fruits are encased in cocoa and earthy richness but with gentle spice, soil tone, asphalt and a stony minerality that gives the wines a beautiful dimension. These are special wines, among the very best being made in Australia today. When you see what Grange and Hill of Grace sell for these days, these are a bargain.” Andrew Guard, Distributor
About the 2023 vintage by Dan Standish: ““A gentle elongated ripening created a special vintage giving us wines of great lusciousness and complexity … some of our most complex and captivating wines to date.”
Review on the 2023 Standish Releases by Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate: ““The 2023 vintage in South Australia, Barossa Valley particularly, was cold and wet and certainly threw some curve balls for producers. Diligent and constant attention in the vineyards was the key to success in a year like this. As ever, I was anticipating the release of the 2023’s with bated breath, perhaps more than other more straight-forward vintages, if only to satisfy my curiosity with how a producer like Standish would handle a year like 2023. I was not disappointed. We, the drinkers, can find ourselves obsessed with vintage conditions, and that can disguise how important a role viticulture, vine age and experience with winemaking play in the success of a wine, over and above the lens of a given vintage. Love to hear what you think of the wines, and if you’ve had a chance to open any yet.”
About The Relic: 99% Shiraz, 1% Viognier. Sourced from the Hongell Family Vineyard, Krondorf. Planted on own roots in 1991. Clay Loam over weathered bedrock with intermittent bands of quartz. Shiraz grown in this part of the Barossa tends to be very aggressively tannic. We planted a single row of Viognier alongside the Shiraz, which is picked on the same morning and co-fermented. The co-fermentation of even a tiny amount of Viognier not only adds heady aromatics to the mix but also softens the otherwise firm tannins.
98 points, Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate “The 2023 The Relic Shiraz-Viognier is texturally velvety and smooth; that may sound like a base observation to make, and perhaps it is, but the experience is overwhelmingly silky/ethereal this year… What more is there to say about this, other than that it is sensational? I find this to be an incredibly consistent wine year after year, with my scores rarely deviating too much from “excellent.” This is among the very best Shiraz Viognier’s in this country; it’s a treasure. 14.9% alcohol, sealed under natural cork and wax.”
97 points, Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion “The Relic, 98.5/1.5% shiraz/viognier is sourced from the Hongell Family vineyard in Krondorf and immediately presents itself beautifully with dark and red plum, dark cherry and indeed, a stone fruit component that sits obliquely to the deeper fruit on display. A smaller percentage of whole bunch this year but an exotically spiced trail is still apparent in the wine, like fading footsteps in wet sand. There’s a char siu meaty aspect in the mix, too, with dried meadow flowers and a real sense of place; the tannins are like powdered sand and there is a sapidness apparent in its cadence. There’s only a handful of producers in the region that produce wines with this level of intricacy. It’s like bonsai winemaking, capturing nature and all its harvest-borne detail with a sense of balance and proportion. Tremendous drinking.”
96 points, Mike Bennie, The Wine Front “Perfume, silky texture, glossiness, charm and drinkability. Fine tannin profile in a sheath of silky draw, white pepper, rosy floral lift, dried rose petal indeed, with touches of stone fruit in concentrated forest berry compote and tart, red plum character. Multi-dimensional in its feel with its extreme length, almost bouncy texture, grip of very fine, quality tannin and sense of refreshment to finish. A dusting of white pepper lingers. Concentration and compact nature. Class.”
RRP $182 Our Special Price $149.99- EXTREMELY LIMITED
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