Tasting Notes
The 2022 The Relic Shiraz-Viognier contains 2% Viognier skins, and this addition presents in this vintage as a core of raspberry and pomegranate. It is pure fruited and powerfully aromatic, as this cuvee always is. Interestingly, I am tasting this wine from two different glasses: one opened two days ago, one opened this morning. They are quite different, telling us once again that oxygen really is a friend to this producer, especially if choosing to drink these wines young. While the bottle opened two days ago is complete, balanced and utterly refined, it speaks more of its florals and fruit than it does its savory register of spice and complexity. However, the wine opened today has nuances of bacon fat and exotic spice. It is tightly coiled and springy and nowhere near as giving as the former. So, choose your own path. This vintage is a prettier, finer but no less long or coiled version of itself, and it will prove to be one of the greats in the cellar. The tannins certainly are a highlight for me. Built for age but also, in the framework of this beautiful season, absolutely available to you right now. An effortless beauty, here. 14.9% alcohol, sealed under natural cork. 98+ Points. Erin Larkin - The Wine Advocate
Dan Standish is about as Barossan as you can get. His family has roots in the region going back six generations. It's in his blood. In my opinion, Dan produces the finest examples of Shiraz coming from its spiritual home in Australia: the Barossa Valley.
His winemaking experience covers some of the finest regions in the world, working at wineries in the Sonoma Valley, Rioja and the Rhone Valley. He then rose to become head winemaker at Torbreck, where he raised the wines to new heights and showed the wine world his talent. It was clear he was one to watch. In 1999 he started The Standish Wine Co and began the journey to producing some of the most exciting wines in Australia.
The fruit Dan uses is sourced from several sites across the Barossa and Eden Valleys - primarily from his family's vineyard in Vine Vale. Planted in 1912, the grapes from this site go to produce The Standish and The Relic. These are deep, concentrated and dense examples of Shiraz made from the low-yielding Centenarian Vines, with The Relic seeing an addition of Viognier, adding a floral lift which channels Dan's time in the Rhone Valley. This addition of Viognier makes The Relic the most accessible on release, however as with all good things, patience is rewarded.
For his Lamella Shiraz, Dan sources fruit from the Fechner Vineyard in the Eden Valley. Lamella is a cooler climate expression, savoury and herbal and sadly sold out. The final piece of the puzzle is The Schubert Theorem, made with fruit sourced from 100-year-old vineyards in Greenock and Marananga.
These are wines that love time in a cellar and need time in a decanter - rushing the experience will only take away from it.
| Product Type | Wine Red Shiraz |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Country | Australia |
| Region | South Australia |
| Sub Region | Barossa Valley |
| Winemaking Practices | Minimal Intervention |
| Vineyard Practices | Minimal Intervention |