Peter Lehmann, Stonewell Shiraz Size:6x750ml

Peter Lehmann, Stonewell Shiraz Size:6x750mlPeter Lehmann famously championed old vine Barossa Shiraz in the 1980s when growers were paid to grub it up. Created in 1987, this classic barrel fermented 'best of the best' Shiraz comes from a dozen or so top vineyards, the oldest planted in 1885. Exuberant toasty, mocha oak (mostly French, with 10% American) and blueberry and black olive fruit make for a plush, perfumed wine, with a long chassis of fine grained tannins.

The depth here is nothing short of mind blowing and this is clearly a notch up from the 2000 if not quite as promising as either the ’98 or the ’99

It is situated at 1

(from 8 different lieux-dits that total a whopping 5 ha)

74 ha vineyard of Champs Pennebaut that are blended with fruit from Les Champs de Charmes

the tannins are nearly buried by the fruit

textured and layered

youthfully austere and bone-dry finish is textbook Perrières and while it could use a bit more overall depth

This is almost always the best 1er in the range and so it is again in 2017 with its restrained and ultra-fresh nose of citrus

in the (rightly named) Unico method (72 months’ oak)

the 2016 Harlan Estate reaches dizzying heights of profound beauty

fat and concentrated

fruit and a dense texture are the hallmarks of this red