2020 Kaesler, 'Old Bastard' Shiraz, Barossa Valley, South Australia

Tasting note

Kaesler's flagship Shiraz, from gnarly old 'ancestor' vines, the 2020 vintage celebrates the 127th anniversary of these unique and rare 12 rows. The complex nose shows lifted plum, redcurrant, earthiness and a hint of charry oak in the background. An iron fist wrapped in a velvet glove, the 2020 is deep and brooding, from an incredibly low yielding vintage.

Our thoughts

No longer renowned purely for its eye-catching name (a nod to the gnarly nature of the 12 rows of free-standing, low-yielding, 1893 bush vines that are the heart of soul of the Kaesler estate), the Old Bastard has, in recent years, established itself as a landmark Barossa Shiraz. As the winemaking approach at Kaesler has been fine-tuned, so this icon wine has hit even greater heights, now firmly established with a Langton’s ‘Outstanding’ classification and prized by collectors around the world. With prodigious density and power, it is something of a hedonist’s dream, but the bright acidity and layered texture means it offers more than just brute strength.