Coming Soon - 2023 Standish Lamella Shiraz

The Standish Wine Company, founded in 1999 by sixth-generation Barossa vigneron Dan Standish, produces ultra-limited, single-vineyard Shiraz from dry-grown, old-vine sites across sub-regions like Greenock, Marananga, Krondorf, and Eden Valley. Using wild fermentation, whole-bunch inclusion, foot treading, basket pressing, and aging in French oak, Standish crafts powerful yet refined wines that express purity, intensity, and a strong sense of place. Highly sought-after and released in tiny quantities, each bottling captures the essence of its vineyard with precision and flair.

By all reports, the 2023 vintage in the Barossa was shaped by a cold, wet winter and spring, followed by a cool, dry summer and a notably late harvest. It was a challenging season in the vineyard, yet early impressions suggest the resulting wines are remarkably poised and pure. Standish’s 2023 releases, in particular, are said to show extraordinary finesse and aromatic detail, with the usual power and depth intact. Careful adjustments to whole bunch use and shorter élevage have delivered wines that are intense yet fresh—an impressive result from a difficult year.

Known for its lifted aromatics, precision, and finesse, Lamella is a strikingly pure and detailed Shiraz. Typically sourced from high-altitude sites, it’s the most ethereal and finely structured wine in the Standish range.
Alc. 14.9%

Other Reviews....
Following on from the perfect 2022 release, I find myself opening this wine with a fair bit of excitement. I called Dan Standish one day in early May 2023 (I think to ask my questions about the wines I was tasting), and he was in the vineyard up in Eden Valley, picking the Lamella fruit for this wine. 2023 was a wet, cool season, so much so that the fruit for this cuvée was picked in May. Still, aromatically, the 2023 Lamella Shiraz leads with sumac and orange peel, fresh raspberry, black cherry, licorice, petrichor, wet asphalt and river stones. Sandalwood and rose petals follow through the finish. This is velvety and grainy, supple and pliable. The tannins are dry and silky, and they perfectly balance the intensity of sweet/spicy fruit in the mouth. This wine is a clear example of why you must back a producer over a vintage, because a good producer will triumph no matter the conditions. 14.9% alcohol, sealed under natural cork and wax. Drink 2025 - 2045.
98+ Points
Erin Larkin - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate