Best's Great Western Bin 0 Shiraz 2014

Best's Wines is one of Australia's oldest family-owned wineries, with a history dating back more than 150 years. They produce three shiraz, the flagship Best's Thomson Family Shiraz, the iconic Best's Bin 0 Shiraz and the cornerstone Best's Bin 1 Shiraz. Best's Bin 0 Shiraz is sourced from four low-yielding Concongella Shiraz blocks established in 1966, 1970, 1992 and 1994.

"The wine is bold and bright, youthful and fresh, with elegance and intensity. Ample tannins are appropriately firm and balanced. Not a very big Bin 0, but nicely harmonious and blueberry-ish. Lovely wine, an infant wine with a brilliant future."  Huon Hooke

Expert reviews

"Full crimson-purple; a complex medium to full-bodied shiraz with blackberry, black cherry, spice, licorice, tannins and oak all contributing to the intense palate; natural acidity and freshness enhanced by the modest alcohol; it builds and builds, lengthens and lengthens each time it is retasted. Drink by 2044."  James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion - 96 points

"Very bright, deep youthful purple colour; the bouquet more minty than usual, with peppermint and eucalyptus mint in abundance. Fresh herbs, too, as well as dark berries aplenty. The wine is bold and bright, youthful and fresh, with elegance and intensity. Ample tannins are appropriately firm and balanced. Not a very big Bin 0, but nicely harmonious and blueberry-ish. Lovely wine, an infant wine with a brilliant future. Drink: 2021–2046."  Huon Hooke, The Real Review - 96 points

"I didn't realise until Best's Viv Thomson gave me one of a few fascinating history lessons, but a number of Australian producers, way back in the day, used to label their wines Bin 0, Bin 1, Bin 2, and similar, as a kind of quasi-tiering of quality. A kind of classification system, if you will. Best's have pretty much stuck with it too, with Bin 0 above Bin No 1. Best's' touchstones of history are part of what makes them one of my favourite Victorian wine producers (of a pretty long list of course). Something special though. As with this wine.

Pours with that satisfying purply hue amongst the black and garnet. So fragrant in the glass. A heady mix of red fruits, herbs, lavender, pepper, fine cedar. In the palate, silkiness, medium weight, sweet red berries, pepper, lick of smoky oak, fine dusty tannins. Finishes soft and then begins to tug with tannin. It's effortless, pure-feeling, bright and so very drinkable. It's a release collectors should flock to. Drink: 2021–2046."  Mike Bennie, The Wine Front - 95 points

"Historically one of the great bargains in Australian Shiraz (in my opinion), and even the recent price changes haven't dented this wines appeal. Sourced from four blocks around the winery itself (in the Concongella vineyard), established in 1867, 1966, 1970, and 1992. The first thing you notice is that lovely purple colour – an amazing, bright purple colour. The nose is still wound up tight, the purple fruit sitting squat and so tight, with just a sliver of plum essence, black pepper and a little vanilla bean oak escaping. It's just 13.5% and looks composed and so balanced – you can just drink it, helped long by fresh acidity. Everything in its right place, the moderation instantly making this more appealing than the 2013, the top shelf length suggesting long-term glory (I have fond memories of an 87 drunk about 4 years back that looked superb). Such a step up over the standard Bin 1, if still very tight. Excellent, full bodied but not overblown Shiraz. More! Best drinking: 2018-2032+. Would I buy it? Yes, yes I would."  Andrew Graham, Australian Wine Review - 94 points 

The history of bin 0 

"The evolution of Bin No 0 began more than 150 years ago when Henry Best planted vines at the Concongella Vineyard in 1868. We believe that Henry adopted from the start the style of labelling of the day. We started to move away from the use of European descriptors in the 1980s. However, our first Bin 0 Shiraz didn't appear until 1990.

So what makes this wine so special? It's always been produced from our oldest vines. The fruit is selected from the lower yielding blocks of the historic Concongella vineyard at Great Western. This vineyard is home to 19th- and 20th-century Shiraz plantings, which result in low-yielding, intensely flavoured fruit. We hand select, sort and ferment the fruit in small batches followed by intense barrel selection.

Best's No. 0 is an Australian classic with an impressive pedigree of nearly 150 vintages. It is powerful yet elegant, complex yet harmonious, with many years of great vintages ahead of it yet. Bin 0 has been awarded "Excellent” by Andrew Caillard MW within the esteemed Langton's Classification.

When Viv Thomson started making Bin 0 decades ago, it was a different story to how the winery is run these days. His work in the cellar was done by candlelight, with limited electricity, no fermentation control, no new oak and horses carrying out lots of the back-breaking work in the vineyard."  Best's Wines

About the winery

The story 

The story of Best's begins in 1866 when Henry Best purchases 30ha of land in the small town of Great Western. It was a property named Concongella. Henry planted the first vines in 1868. Best's original vineyards are among the oldest and rarest pre-phylloxera plantings in the world. The Nursery Block contains 39 varieties and that are thought to be sourced from the Busby collection, Australia's first vines. A number of the vines planted in the Nursery Block have defied identification and are thought to exist nowhere else in the world. 

In the early 20^th century, Henry Best presents his wines throughout Europe and was awarded gold medals in Paris, Bordeaux, Brussels and London. In 1913 Henry Best dies at age 81 and is buried in the Great Western cemetery. 

In 1920 the Thompson Family purchases the Concongella Vineyard from the Best family. The Thompson Family had originally settled in Great Western in 1893 and purchased a winery at Rhymney (13km south of Henry Best). 

In 1961 Viv Thomson joins his family for his first vintage. In 1967 Best's Old Vine Pinot Meunier was first produced. In 1975 Viv decided to appoint the first external winemaker, Trevor Mast. Best's had grown significantly and Viv was needed to manage the company and develop relationships further afield.  

The 1992 vintage of the flagship Thomson Family Shiraz is first released in 1993 to commemorate 100 years since the Thomson family settled in Great Western. In 2000 Best's cornerstone wine, Bin No. 1 Shiraz is made for the first time. 

In 2008 Viv Thomson hands over the reins of the company to son Ben. In 2020 the Thomson Family celebrates 100 years as custodians of Best's Wines. 

Notable Awards 

2011 Best's Bin 1 Shiraz wins the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy at the 2012 Royal Melbourne Wine Show.

2014 Best's Thomson Family Shiraz wins the 2017 Halliday Wine of the Year.

Langton's classifies Best's Thomson Family Shiraz as ‘Exceptional' and Best's Bin 0 Shiraz as ‘Outstanding' in 2018

Best's awarded Best Value Winery of the Year in James Halliday's 2021 Wine Companion.

2021 Foudre Ferment Riesling wins the 2023 Halliday Wine of the Year.