Coming Soon - 2024 Standish The Relic Shiraz Viognier

Founded in 1999 by sixth-generation Barossa vigneron Dan Standish, The Standish Wine Company produces a highly allocated portfolio of single-vineyard Shiraz expressions from dry-grown, ancient vines. The 2024 vintage was heavily shaped by early-season frosts and a prolonged dry growing period that compressed the ripening timeline and sharply reduced yields. To maintain site-specific transparency across these conditions, every wine in the collection was subjected to an identical élevage of 542 days and nights maturing on the active lees, allowing variations in topography, soil composition, and microclimate alone to dictate the structural differences between each cuvée.

The Relic is a Northern Rhône-inspired blend pairing 98% Shiraz with 2% Viognier skins, co-fermented from century-old vines at the Hongell Family Vineyard in Krondorf. The vineyard's east-facing slope protects the canopy from harsh afternoon sun exposure, which inherently preserves the natural acidity of the fruit.

Other Reviews...
The 2024 The Relic Shiraz-Viognier comprises 2% Viognier (destemmed, co-fermented with the Shiraz on top). Aromatically, the wine leads with red apples and cherry blossom, cranberry, pomegranate and apricot flowers. This is floral, with rose petals and violets, all of it set against the backdrop of black fruit. Freshness abounds here. In the mouth, the wine is silky, the tannins ferrous and profuse and the length typically long. This is very fine in its shape and monumentally powerful but chalky too. It is very impressive. 14.9% alcohol, sealed under natural cork and wax.
98 Points
Erin Larkin - Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Ahoy! With 2% viognier in tow. Over a hundred years of vine age here. Hongell Vineyard in Krondorf. All the new release Standish wines were tasted over two days too. A lusty decant to ensure the juices flow, per se.
A smooth ride here, inky and stout, a thick set red of supple texture and yet plenty of detail of fruit, spice, seasoning, savouriness in all that. Very concentrated plum and cassis characters, rose water lift, dried apricot, currants, faint toffee notes and milky chocolate elements slipping through. Exotic spice makes a mark, so too old leather, game meat, dried Italianate herbs. A bold red but so well balanced in its elements, seamless in texture, extra in length. A formidable wine of power and presence. Lush drinking ensues.
97+ Points
Mike Bennie - The Wine Front