Medium depth crimson with purple hues. Ripe red fruits and black cherry on the nose with mocha, subtle savoury and herbal notes adding complexity. The bright and juicy fruits coat the palate and are balanced by pepper and sweet spices. Medium-bodied in structure with great complexity and lovely silky tannins which flow through the fruity, peppery and spicy finish. Despite a later than anticipated start and an earlier than usual finish, the 2018 compressed harvest produced wines of deep colour, flavour and balance across the board. 35% Grenache, 34% Shiraz, 31% Mourvedre. Matured for 12 months in seasoned oak. The site where the Langmeil winery now sits was originally settled by Blacksmith Christian Auricht way back in 1842. Christian went on to establish a bakery, smithy, a butcher's shop and a cobbler as well as planting a 1 hectare vineyard on the estate. This vineyard, still in use today, has been called the Freedom 1843 block and is believed to be one of the oldest Shiraz vineyards in the world. Flash forward 160+ years and the Langmeil winery and vineyard is back in family hands, with Carl Lindner, Richard Lindner and Chris Bitter now owning this historic Barossan estate. Like many Barossan estates with a bent for traditional full bodied reds, Langmeil prefers open fermenters and basket presses, utilising these fabulously archaic methods for over half its grape intake of approximately 1000 tonnes. In a similar vein, the wines are only minimally handled and minimally filtered before bottling in an attempt to preserve natural flavour and complexity.

https://s3-ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com/orchestracms/eosportal/pdf/tasting-notes/langmeil-lineage-shiraz-2017.pdf

Includes 30% whole bunch fruit with maturation taking place in an even mix of stainless steel and old French oak hogsheads for a period of 6 months. Black as night heart with a youthfully bright dark red hue. Fragrant freshly crushed blackberry, liquorice and dark plum scents cross paths with some spicy vanillin cedar and peppered fennel notes. Rich juicy dark plum, liquorice and blueberry fruits overlay spicy vanilla and subtle peppered earth characters. Fresh acidity and polished tannins concluding lively and succulently fruited. Drink over the next 3-4 years. Alc. 14%

Colour is deep red. The nose shows aniseed, tar, FruChocs and spicy oak. The fine palate entry has mulberry, cranberry, aniseed and liquorice flowing delicately with Rhone-like spicy, chewy, savoury tannins.

The Shiraz grapes for The Struie come from old vines in the Barossa and Eden Valleys. The Eden component brings floral spicy aromas that are supported by more brooding notes of tar and chocolate from the Barossa. The palate is luscious and silky, and this is a Fine Wine favourite.

Chris Ringland's Barossa Ranges Shiraz is steeped in the Barossas post-colonial story and the high art and science of winemaking. Typically deep in colour with intense dark berry, paneforte, espresso roasted chestnut aromas, it displays a plush and concentrated palate with blackberry, mocha, paneforte spicy flavours and dense fine chocolaty tannins. Despite the opulence, flamboyance, richness and concentration, the wine has superb percussion and freshness. The wine is a small vinification of around four to five hogsheads or 1500 litres. The "unusually thick skinned" Shiraz is entirely sourced from Chris Ringland's dry-grown vineyard on the edge of the Barossa Valley, but technically in Eden Valley, along Flaxman's Valley near Randall's Hill. The wine is "painstakingly hand-made" in open fermenters and regularly pumped-over to extract colour, flavour and tannins. After draining and pressing through a traditional basket press, fermentation is completed in 100% new French oak hogsheads. A period of up to 50 months oak maturation follows to achieve optimum complexity and balance between oak and fruit. The extraordinarily high release prices (higher than Penfolds Grange), limited production and reputation make Chris Ringland Barossa Ranges Shiraz the stuff of legend.

Bright, deep garnet. Spice laced, smoky, savory notes dominate when the bottle is first opened. With air aromas transit through black tea, charred meat, green pepper corn, wood smoke and suede, to roasted nuts, red and black cherry and high transient notes of citrus oils and jasmine. Restrained and relatively closed on the palate initially. Mid-weight, with a keen balance of both flesh and bones fruit and structure - tangy dried herb edged fruit opens up to polished, fresh black fruits. Focused and pure, has great line.