Magpie Estate The Sack Shiraz 2002

Barossa winemaker Rolf Binder established Magpie Estate in 1993 in partnership with UK wine impresario and fellow Rhône-phile, Noel Young. The pair create a range of wines that showcase the three noble varieties in the Barossa; Mourvèdre, Grenache and Shiraz. Fruit is sourced from a group of select growers, with the acquisition of the Smalltown Vineyard in Ebenezer providing estate-grown fruit from the '17 vintage. 

Rolf Binder gained a worldwide reputation for his red wines in 1998 when influential American wine critic Robert Parker scored both the 'Malcolm' (Magpie Estate Wines) and 'Hanisch' Shiraz (Veritas Winery) 99/100 points - the first Australian wines to receive such a high score.

"A blend of 86% Shiraz and 14% Grenache aged in both American and French oak, the dense ruby/purple-colored 2002 Shiraz The Sack exhibits a promising bouquet of vanilla, toast, melted licorice, and creme de cassis. Low in acidity, ripe, rich, well-structured, dense, and delineated, this 2002 requires 1-3 years of cellaring, and should drink well for 12+."  Robert Parker

Expert reviews

"A blend of 86% Shiraz and 14% Grenache aged in both American and French oak, the dense ruby/purple-colored 2002 Shiraz The Sack exhibits a promising bouquet of vanilla, toast, melted licorice, and creme de cassis. Low in acidity, ripe, rich, well-structured, dense, and delineated, this 2002 requires 1-3 years of cellaring, and should drink well for 12+. Drink: 2005-2016."  Robert Parker, Wine Advocate – 90 points

Rolf Binder

Rolf Heinrich Binder and his wife, Franziska, arrived in Australia (from Austria and Hungary respectively) in 1950 as part of the large influx of post war immigration to Australia. As payment for the government assistance, they worked with the South Australian railways for three years. During that time they met Elmore Schulz, a train driver and grape grower in the Barossa Valley, and one of the two Elmores of Barossa Valley Estates’ E&E Shiraz. While picking grapes for Elmore in 1953, the couple met Chris Vohrer and Wilhelm Abel who offered Rolf a winemaking apprenticeship at their winery at Tanunda’s Langmeil Road. In 1954 they worked a vintage in this winery and subsequently purchased the business in 1955, renaming it 'Veritas', taken from the Latin quote "In Vino Veritas" - in wine there is truth.

Rolf and Franziska's daughter, Christa Deans, and son, Rolf Binder Jnr, both studied oenology at Roseworthy College with the view of one day taking over the family winery. Christa joined the family business in 1981 at the age of 22, shortly after Rolf Snr was seriously injured in a car accident. She worked one vintage before heading off to hone her skills at Wolf Blass for 11 years. Rolf Jnr came on board a year later at the age of 20 when he finished his studies and took over the reins of Veritas.

Christa returned to Veritas in 1994 and the siblings took the winery into the 21st century, with Rolf Jnr gaining a worldwide reputation for his red wines, and Christa garnering plaudits for her Riesling. Veritas was awarded the Trophy for Best Barossa Shiraz in 1995 and 1996 and international fame followed in 1998 when influential American wine critic Robert Parker scored both the 'Malcolm' and 'Hanisch' Shiraz 99/100 points - the first Australian wines to receive such a high score.

In 2005, due to trademark problems, the business name was changed from Veritas to Rolf Binder to honour their late father who had passed away two years earlier. In 2019, Rolf and Christa celebrated 25 consecutive vintages, a unique record achievement for a brother/sister winemaking team. 

In addition to the Rolf Binder (Veritas) business, Rolf owns two other Barossa brands, Magpie Estate and J.J. Hahn.

Binder established Magpie Estate in 1993 in partnership with UK wine impresario and fellow Rhône-phile, Noel Young. The pair create a range of wines that showcase the three noble varieties in the Barossa; Mourvèdre, Grenache and Shiraz. Fruit is sourced from a group of select growers, with the acquisition of the Smalltown Vineyard in Ebenezer providing estate-grown fruit from the '17 vintage. 

In 1997, James and Jackie Hahn decided to produce their own range of red wines and teamed up with Rolf Binder for the winemaking. The JJ Hahn label was born. In 2010, the Hahns retired from the business and Rolf Binder retained co-ownership of the brand, winemaking and vineyard management.

The text below is taken from the article 'Rolf Binder moves on to his next phase' by Huon Hooke in the Real Review in May 2021

Rolf Binder describes himself as a 'paused' winemaker.

The Barossa Valley veteran has just sold his eponymous winery to Accolade, Australia’s biggest winemaking company. But the bottom line is that he has sold his name, along with 113 hectares of vineyards, the winery on Stelzer Rd, Stonewell, and stock. He and his sister Christa Deans, the co-owner, decided on this course of action because "ultimately, with the next generation of Binder children moving in other directions, it became evident that there wasn’t an opportunity to keep the business within the family."

Rolf has not sold his two other brands, Magpie Estate and J.J. Hahn. His partner in Magpie Estate, UK merchant Noel Young, wants to 'right size' the business, by returning it to its original purpose, which was to showcase the Rhône Valley grapes, grenache, mourvèdre and shiraz.

Magpie Estate includes the flagship wine The Malcolm, a $195 shiraz, which was originally sourced from Malcolm Seppelt’s vineyard at Marananga which is now owned by Torbreck and supplies The Laird Shiraz. Since the loss of that vineyard, The Malcolm has switched to the Small Town Vineyard in the Ebenezer subregion, a move that Rolf believes has been successful.

He will continue to make his own wines at somebody else’s winery, although he won’t say whose just yet.

"I’m looking forward to it. It’s almost like going back 40 years to when I started. It’ll be rustic: pitchforks, and inadequate cooling, and so on. I’ll enjoy getting that feel for wine back: these days I just sit in an office behind a computer."

Binder is optimistic about the Barossa in spite of global warming.

"The Barossa should stick to what has made it so famous, which is shiraz and the other Rhône varieties. Like pinot noir in Burgundy and grenache in the southern Rhône, we need to acknowledge what has got us to where we are."

More attention is being paid to viticulture, to canopy management, to efficient irrigation. And there are other grape varieties that he’s interested in using more, such as carignan and montepulciano, in addition to grenache and mourvèdre.

"Carignan is well suited: I do like it as a variety. It can cope with the climate better and make a more modern style, a style you don’t need to age, so you can sell it earlier. But don’t forget that shiraz is number one. The market loves the oomph of shiraz. There’s no indication that the world is getting tired of Barossa shiraz."

Binder is ready for the next phase of his career.

"I’ve had lots of great meals, drunk lots of great wine, met lots of great people, been to lots of interesting places all around the world, and had lots of fun. I’m not disappearing, but I will be spending more time in my vegetable patch."

About the winery

Barossa winemaker Rolf Binder established Magpie Estate in 1993 in partnership with UK wine impresario and fellow Rhône-phile, Noel Young. The pair create a range of wines that showcase the three noble varieties in the Barossa; Mourvèdre, Grenache and Shiraz. Fruit is sourced from a group of select growers, with the acquisition of the Smalltown Vineyard in Ebenezer providing estate-grown fruit from the '17 vintage. 

Rolf Binder gained a worldwide reputation for his red wines in 1998 when influential American wine critic Robert Parker scored both the 'Malcolm' (Magpie Estate Wines) and 'Hanisch' Shiraz (Veritas Winery) 99/100 points - the first Australian wines to receive such a high score.

"This is a partnership between Barossa Valley winemaker, Rolf Binder and UK wine merchant, Noel Young. Established in 1993 when Mourvèdre and Grenache were largely forgotten varieties, these two Rhône-philes have adapted that great larrikin of the Australian sky, the magpie‚ as their mascot. Driven by the desire to highlight the Barossa Valley's rich resources of Rhône Valley varieties and to have a good laugh along the way, Magpie Estate claims Mourvèdre, Grenache and Shiraz as its own. The pair create a range of superbly crafted varietals and blends that collectively represent the many personalities and expressions of these three noble varieties in the Barossa. The Russ Meyer cult films have inspired many of the quirky wine names.

Over the past 20+ years in business, Rolf and Noel have established strong relationships with a selection of Barossa growers and the brand is now very fortunate to have access to some special blocks of fruit to produce the wines. Some small, unique parcels are also taken from the Barossa's Nuriootpa Research Centre which provides some alternative varietals that make up 'The Mixed Thing' blend. The select group of growers understand the Magpie Estate philosophy and collectively work together to produce an interesting range of wines that really highlight the vibrant fruit character of the Barossa Valley."  Magpie Estate