Tasting Report: Kaesler Old-Vine Shiraz 16 Vintage Vertical
Kaesler vertical line-up
“It’s really twenty years of work, right here on the table,” said Kaesler’s stocky winemaker, Reid Bosward, as he surveyed a 16-vintage vertical of Kaesler Old Vine Shiraz. The tasting was a fascinating one, showing very distinct phases in the evolution of a wine that is a heart-and-soul Barossa red.
Spanning from the 1996 (the making of which just predates Bosward’s arrival) through to the most recent release of 2012, the tasting tracked a journey of an old vineyard brought back from the brink. Run with plenty of irrigation from a salt-riddled supply of bore water (delivering a staggering 2.3 tonnes of salt per hectare) to produce higher crops rather than higher quality, the irrigation was wound back and the yields reduced over time.
“It initially worked against us,” mused Bosward, “as the salt was consolidated in the soil as we pushed it down with rain water. We had to stop and think if we were actually making the right move.” Irrigation was completely rethought, pruning was changed from spur pruning to cane pruning at the end of the 2000 season, the crops were halved and organic matter was applied – all a central part of a drive towards increased health of this clay-based soil.
The plan prevailed to deliver the desired result around 2004 to 2005, and the fifty-plus year-old vineyard (planted in 1961 and 1965 with cuttings from their 1893 plantings) rebounded to health, balance and vitality. The balance of maturity in the vineyard was found, with acidity, sugar and tannin all aligning at the right levels around harvest time.
The winemaking also took a few steps to refinement – consisting of nothing revolutionary, but more a fine-tuning of oak selection, maturation times and looking after what Bosward calls “the one-percenters.”
He is the sort of bloke who fuses strength with humility and, of all the wines he makes at Kaesler, this is the wine that most reflects this attitude. “We make the big wines that really push the ripeness envelope – big, bruising reds like The Bogan and Old Bastard, but this is a wine built around a balance that is struck in the vineyard and then guided through to bottle.”
Kaesler winemaker Reid Bosward and Nick Stock
To this end, Bosward spoke of a philosophy he observed in Bordeaux when working for Jacques Lurton that saw the vineyard manager incorporated into key discussions, tastings and decisions – decisions that are usually the exclusive domain of winemakers. “The idea that a winemaker waltzes into the vineyard for the last few days of a year long journey and calls the shots just seems ludicrous when you think about it,” he said.
It was the right move to take this management style to Kaesler where vineyard manager Nigel van der Zande is integrated into the winemaking decisions, especially where valuable old-vine vineyards are at stake. The evidence of its success was on display to prove it.
The other gripping aspect of the tasting was the way in which this vineyard closely tracked and recorded the character of each vintage, swinging gently with the mood of the season and producing wines that really tap deep into the mood of this mighty Barossa Valley terroir and its annual cycle.
The best wines on the table were simply the product of a superior vintage, which is a good sign when seen with consistency, and there were many greater wines made in lesser years like the 2000 vintage. My picks were the 2006 for the boldness with freshness; the 2004 for sheer balance and completeness; the 2010, which delivered focus and refined muscular strength; the 2009, which has fresher, early-picked vivaciousness; and the 2002, an atypical cool vintage wine with brightness and finesse.
One of the other highlights of the tasting was the oldest wine on offer, the 1996. It was a strong start and a reassuring one, as that the first glass holding the oldest wine from an era of questionable vineyard management seemed to have endured with composure and balance. It gave more than a hint of the ultimate value of this old-vine vineyard nestled in the heart of the Nuriootpa district of this great Australian terroir.
Contributing Editor Nick Stock is a renowned Australian wine writer, author, presenter and filmmaker who reports on his worldwide wine tasting experiences for JamesSuckling.com.
