complex generosity

The Kaesler ‘Old Bastard’ Barossa Shiraz is arguably one of Australia’s most highly regarded wines. The wine’s name refers to a small number of ‘old bastards’ - gnarly old ‘bush vines’ planted in 1893. The ‘Old Bastard’ Shiraz has consistently been rated as a benchmark Barossa Shiraz - highly sought after by wine enthusiasts and serious collectors around the globe.
This 2020 ‘Old Bastard’ Shiraz is the 127th vintage of these 12 rows of ancestral vines. As the status of ‘Ancestral Vines’ - within the Barossa ‘Vine Charter’ - classifies bush vines that are 125+ years of age.
This vineyard was a secret ingredient of super-charged Shiraz grapes used by other Barossa wineries for their premium labels and even fortified wines for over 100 years. Reid made an offer to purchase the 1-hectare vineyard in Nuriootpa, and this was how the current Kaesler ‘Old Bastard’ was born.
You can imagine these fragile, extremely low cropping vines require respectful management and careful hand-harvesting. As the fruit comes into the winery, just 100 metres from the vineyard, due to the intensity of these small, rich-ink-black berries. They experience low intervention to extract characters, so after a short period of vinification the wine is then racked to 55% new Burgundian oak and 1-year old French oak barrels. After malolactic fermentation the wine is racked returned to barrel for around 17 months. A wine that lets the intensely complex fruit characters do all the talking - a fruit driven core, supported by infused oak.

★ In your glass a dark purple-red colour, with a rich garnet hue. On the inviting aromas your senses are hypnotised by rich, intensely fragrant wild blackberries, dark plums, morello cherries, cassis, bitter cacao and smoky dried spices. These open onto the generous palate with a rich tapestry of earthy forest fruits with these dynamic flavours engaging your taste-buds. Then you have those smoky spices with mocha-coffee, bitter cacao and tobacco highlights. These generous elements are deftly wrapped in natural tannins and detailed Sashimono oak. These bold characters are kept focused by natural acidity, resulting in an articulate complex Shiraz with a wealth of riches. This 2020 ‘Old Bastard’ with decanting can be enjoyed in the short-term, but would appreciate and reward time.

This 2020 Kaesler ‘Old Bastard’ Barossa Shiraz has 14.5% Alc./vol. *(If opened in the next 4-5 years, I would encourage good decanting) and serve in a generously shaped red wine glass at 16° - 18°C. • *NZ$320

CELLARING POTENTIAL: *(Review 29/5/25)
With good decanting approachable, though it would appreciate another 4-5 years, and will age well for another 20 - 25 years.

FOOD PAIRING SUGGESTIONS:
Perfect wine pairing with dry aged premium grade Wagyu served with a rich wine-jus, wild game and well-seasoned pasta dishes, lamb shanks, earthy vegetarian cuisine and aged, hard cheeses - enjoy.