2021 Kaesler, 'The Bogan Shiraz', Barossa Valley, South Australia

Tasting note

I have followed the Kaesler wines for decades, but this loyalty pales when you learn the oldest vines on this estate date back to the 1890s. Like many of the greatest wineries in Australia, the desire to improve year after year is all-consuming here, and the constant refinement of the wines is apparent in the glass. There is as much focus on vineyard health as there is on sensitive winemaking, and while historically, these were blockbuster creations, these days, the fruit integrity is unquestionable and yet the delivery on the palate is sensual, pervasive and all-encompassing as this ‘Bogan’ shows. Included in my as-yet-unpublished 100 Best Australian Wines Report 2025, this is a stellar Barossa Shiraz that is already charming and hypnotic in the glass, and the value for money here is simply staggering, bearing in mind the raw materials and talent in this operation. -Matthew Jukes

Our thoughts

Unlike many Barossa wineries, Kaesler still relies on its own estate-grown fruit. And of course, Shiraz is the star of the show. The 2021 Bogan, from one of the standout vintages of recent years, is blended from several parcels of old-vine plantings, some of which date back a century of more. And while the wine might not last quite as long, its full-bodied but lifted, complex character will ensure this ages gracefully for many years to come.