Standish Wines Revisited

 For the last six years or so, Dan Standish has collected incredible praise for his Shiraz wines, and I was one of the first to do so. Now it is one thing to produce wines which are great on release. It is quite another to maintain this level over time. As most people who buy his wines will store them for at least some time, this is quite important.

Yesterday I opened a 2018 The Standish Wine Company The Relic and 2018 The Standish Wine Company Andelmonde to see how they have matured. The corks under wax were very fresh on opening. 

I tried the Relic, a Shiraz/Viognier, first. The wine comes from a Krondorf vineyard, with vines slightly more than 100 years old. The colour is deep purple. The wine is very aromatic on the nose. Intense blackberry fruit hits the palate first. There is spice as well. Tobacco and earth flavours are in the background. The fruit weight in the mouth is strong, yet the wine has sufficient energy to drive the flavours down the palate. This is supported by silky tannins, before the wine delivers this massive finish, which goes on and on, and is not heavy. As an aside, you cannot distinguish the Shiraz from the Viognier, which is great.

This wine has not suffered through ageing. Based on this tasting, I would not even be able to say when this Relic will hit its peak - in ten years?

Score: 99/+++

The Andelmonde comes from a 60 year old, sandy vineyard in Light Pass. The colour of the wine is a brighter red. It is more floral on the nose. It is not as powerful as the Relic, with a focus on elegance. Redcurrant and blood plum flavours dominate, no secondary flavours to speak of right now. The tannins are quite tight-fisted. The overall feel is one of harmony, before the wine finishes firm. Again, this wine will live for a long time.

This wine is different from the other Standish wines, more fragrant. It is a shame that Dan could not renew the lease once it ran out. The Andelmonde will be rare and past vintages will be cherished for a long time.

Score: 97/+++

These two wines have held up incredibly well. They have hardly aged and promise even more in the future. Who says powerful Barossa Shiraz cannot age?