1993 Peter Lehmann Stonewell Shiraz

Amongst the growers of the Barossa Valley, Peter Lehmann, is held in very high regard. The Australian wine industry was not always as buoyant as it is today, and when in 1977 Saltram turned its back on the winemakers of the Barossa, refusing to take fruit, Lehmann was placed in a difficult position, as he had given his word to the grape growers that if they looked after the wine company he was then working for, the wine company (Saltram) promised to look after them. Lehmann couldn't "allow Barossa grapes to rot on the vine - it was bad for the region and bad for the industry." Saltram reneged on the deal and Lehmann took a chance and made two arms length vintages away from Saltram - he sold the wine in bulk and paid his growers on time. This deed has earnt Lehmann the title of Baron of the Barossa, and subsequently his own winery and a public company. Today it is difficult to imagine those days of oversupply, however, if history has taught us any lessons, they may well reappear again some time in the distant future.Stonewell Shiraz is the top wine produced by Peter Lehmann, and is released with 5 years bottle age, giving the consumer without a cellar the opportunity to taste a mature Barossa Shiraz. Produced from dry grown Shiraz, grown at Greenock, Stonewell, Siegersdorf, Moppa and Koonunga Hill in the Barossa Valley, this is a classic Barossa Shiraz. Opaque brick red colour. The nose displays superb ripe fruit aromas with the early signs of added bottle age complexity. Plums, spice, vanilla, blackberry and confectionary aromas fill the nose. The palate reflects the ripe fruits of the nose and further complexity is added by the toasted vanillin oak background. Palate flavours of stewed fruit, plum, liquorice allsorts and chocolate fill the mouth and are supported by fine grained tannins. Perfect balance with long chocolate, liquorice, toasted oak and plum aftertaste. Cellar 5-6 years. Stocks are very limited.