Powell & Son Loechel Vineyard Shiraz (edited)

 When writing about Dave Powell, wine and personality are inextricably linked. He is larger than life, a very generous, but also quite opinionated man. I don't want to go too much into it, but this is briefly what happened. After he lost control of Torbreck, he formed a company with his son Callum, who had been helping him at Torbreck towards the end. This was Powell & Son. Unfortunately, this partnership only lasted a few years. Dave Powell went his own way, forming Neldner Road. 

When Powell & Son hit the market, a couple of wines were offered for $750 per bottle. I thought this was a very cynical approach for a new brand, not withstanding Dave managed to source excellent fruit from old vineyards. As I learnt, these wines were largely pre-sold to Hongkong, where Dave had a strong following. This essentially bankrolled the new venture. Obviously, since China raises tariffs, this has become impossible.

I was much more modest and bought some 2016 Powell & Son Loechel Vineyard Shiraz for $130 per bottle. The fruit comes from Eden Valley, just south of the town, from 50 year old vines.

The colour is ruby, giving the higher elevation of the vineyard (400m) away. On the nose, black fruits and some smoky notes emerge.

On the palate, plum (why do most people not want to mention plum as a flavour?), blackberry, also blueberry, olive and smoke deliver a complex, full-bodied mouthfeel. This is a ripe wine, as expected, but shows some surprising freshness as well. The tannins are silky before the wine finishes long.

Dave Powell is perfect with Eden Valley fruit. What can be overwhelming from the Barossa Valley does not quite reach the same level of denseness from the Eden Valley. I found this wine to be a fantastic example of a full-bodied, yet drinkable and satisfying Shiraz. I wish I had bought more than a couple of bottles.

Score: 96/+++