1994 Best's Great Western Bin 0 Shiraz

The Great Western district and Shiraz are synonymous with the production of exceptional wine. Henry Best purchased land in the area in 1866, and established the Concongella Vineyard, with a mixed variety of vines including Shiraz, Pinot Meunier, Dolcetto and Chasselas. Further Shiraz plantings occurred in 1966 - Barts Paddock, and in 1970 - Marcus' Paddock, which are now quite mature. The 1994 Bests Bin 0 Shiraz was made entirely from the Bart and Marcus Paddocks. The fruit from Henry Best's original vines has been used to produce the 1994 Best's Thompson Shiraz which is simply breathtaking and due for release prior to Christmas. (Only 450 cases were made).The 1994 season saw perfect vintage conditions. "Adequate spring rains ensured good growing conditions, however, very cold weather right up to the end of Summer tended to slow growth down. Some rain occurred during summer but this was always followed by dry cold conditions. Late March and April were very dry with hot days and very cold frosty nights". The prolonged cool ripening season saw the production of a small but concentrated crop of grapes.

THIS IS ONE OF THE FINEST, MOST PERFECTLY BALANCED SHIRAZ TO APPEAR IN MANY YEARS

Drought conditions may not bring the vigneron an abundance of grapes but they certainly give the drinker more pleasure than he's paying for. We have tasted this wine on four separate occasions, twice masked, where it pipped the 1994 Mt Langi Ghiran Shiraz as top of the line up.Tasting Notes: Intense crimson purple colour. The nose is just magnificent, uplifted, complex, almost perfumed. Wonderful mellow blackberries, spice, vanilla and confectionary aromas fill the nose. The palate displays superb ripe fruit flavours - without any sign of jamminess. The wine is mouthfilling - fruit picked to perfection - plums, spice and blackberries with subtle American oak all dance around the palate creating pure drinking pleasure. The balance is so fine, that there is the perception that the wine won't and can't go anywhere. The tannins are so fine and so silky smooth, that the illusion is created that this wine won't keep - the reality is the opposite. Perfection and total harmony in youth will be retained well into old age. This is the sort of wine that is going to be very hard to keep - but do try! Cellar 10-15 years. The bad news is that stocks are limited - you can't have quality and quantity.