2018 Standish The Relic Shiraz Viognier

Black as night heart with a nearly equally deep black dark red hue. A touch more reserved at first than the other three Standish wines but perhaps the most exotic, the nose serves up an intense aromatic profile of black cherries, liquorice and dark plum which are married to vanillin cedar, hints of apricot and honeysuckle as well as scorched earth finishing with a burst of blackpepper. Rich and decadently textured layers of luscious black cherry, liquorice and black plum fruits meld into toasty vanillin oak, light infusions of honeysuckle, scorched earth and blackpepper. The tannins cast a sturdy shadow of strength across the fruit yet have a slippery feel. Outstanding intensity with a very long and polished aftertaste.
Cellar 8-10 years.
Alc. 14.9%

Other Reviews….
Despite being only 2% Viognier, in its current state, Standish's 2018 The Relic Shiraz-Viognier shows prominent notes of stone fruit and spice, plus the blackberries and blueberries of the Shiraz. Full-bodied, lush and creamy-textured, with a long, silky finish, this beauty should drink well for a couple of decades after its release next year. Drink 2020-2040.
96-99 points
Joe Czerwinski – Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate

Hongell Family Vineyard, Krondorf. Planted 1912. Warm climate Shiraz and Viognier are uneasy bedfellows for me, generally, but sometimes they work. It’d be a different wine without the Viognier, though, obviously, I can’t state that it would be better. There’s 2% of the V-word in the mix here.
Apricot, vanilla bean and white flowers, ripe blueberry, blackberry pie with a spicy crust. It’s silky, juicy, layers of silky and silty tannin, gentle but persistent and maybe even insistent. Succulence and perfume, something of a grilled steak flavour, freshness and density, and sweet sweet length. It’s a warm fruit pie of a wine, but keeps itself so well controlled. It’s very hard not to be impressed. Drink 2022-2038+
96 points
Gary Walsh – The Wine Front