Sourced from Kaesler estate in the Barossa Valley planted in 1930. Alte Reben means “Old Vines” in German.
In the glass: At 17 years old, the dark core fades at the edges, showing its age.
Nose: Red & white flowers still showing ripe fruit aromas as the wine swirls around the glass.
Mouth: The wine is still relatively full-bodied but has got smooth with age, However the tannins are still present on entry with hints of plum and blackcurrant and a touch of coffee, wrapped in oak as it washes down the palate.
2008 was the first release of this, a single-vineyard Mataro, which was previously all used for the Avignon GSM. It looked so amazing in 2008, they kept a small parcel separate in one-year-old French oak for 15 months and bottled it as this straight varietal; the rest, as they say, is history.
The wine has tamed a lot with cellaring however, it still needs a hearty meat dish to do the wine justice.
I had homemade shepherd’s pie. Leftover shredded lamb roast topped with creamy mashed potatoes roasted in the pizza oven in the backyard. I’m a brainiac!
Michael Lillis
Michael Lillis
