St Hallett Old Block Shiraz 2017 (1500ml)

This is the flagship of St Hallett's wines and has become one of the great icons of Australian wine. The 2017 Old Block Shiraz is a blend of fruit from the Barossa Valley (51%) and the Eden Valley (49%). The average age of the vines is 96 years old. The Barossa component provides the fundamental core of blackberry fruit, while the higher altitude Eden Valley component adds the cooler climate spicy elements and some savoury texture. 

"This is concentrated, set into a medium-bodied (plus) frame, and shows an array of red fruits and exotic spice. It's a cracking wine that manages to hold onto traditional and classical, but it also taps into modernity in the shape of its tannins and its flow of fruit. Super smart."  Erin Larkin

Expert reviews

"Medium-deep crimson. Attractive espresso, dark cherry, blackberry aromas with praline/mocha/roasted chestnut notes. Smooth, supple and refined with dark cherry, blackberry, dried plum, red currant fruits, persistent fine graphite-like tannins, inky richness and underlying roasted coffee, mocha, chestnut, hint tobacco leaf notes. Finishes
chocolaty/chewy firm with plenty of mineral length. Multi-layered but medium-powered wine with lovely fruit complexity and integration. A classic Barossa Shiraz showing the enduring hallmarks of extended oak maturation. Will keep for years. Drink: Now – 2038+."  Andrew Caillard MW, The Vintage Journal - 97 points

"Elegant and perfumed wine, reflecting the cool vintage to best effect. Black cherry and berry, long and supple in the mouth, with some cedary oak and finely wrought tannins. Always a classy wine, the first vintage put St Hallett on the road to where it is today. Drink by 2041."  James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion - 97 points

"This is an important wine in the St Hallett lineup, and it's a blend of two areas within the Barossa Zone: Barossa Valley (51%) and Eden Valley (49%). The plantings range from 1963 through to the 1850s, and the 2017 Old Block Shiraz is a great example of how old vines cushion the wine from the impact of the vintage. This is concentrated, set into a medium-bodied (plus) frame, and shows an array of red fruits and exotic spice. It's a cracking wine that manages to hold onto traditional and classical, but it also taps into modernity in the shape of its tannins and its flow of fruit. Super smart. Drink: 2022-2037."  Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate - 95 points

"Smooth and genuinely elegant, this medium to full-bodied shiraz unfolds a spicy, faintly smoky and confiture-like bouquet of black and red berries, blood plums and chocolate/vanilla oak backed by notes of cola and dried herbs. Supported by fine, chalky tannins, it's measured and evenly paced, delivering smooth fruit and oak before finishing with a savoury, umami-like aspect and a refreshing acidity. Drink 2029-2037+."  Jeremy Oliver - 95 points

"Dark and deep in the glass. Aromas of satsuma plum, black cherry, dark chocolate, coffee, cedar and spice. Full-bodied, rich, dark and mouth-filling. Mulberry, boysenberry, mocha, aromatic sweet spice and layered oak. Textured and mouth-coating tannins, bright acidity, plenty of grip and cut. A sleeper. Drink 2021-2036."  Aaron Brasher, The Real Review - 95 points

About the winery

Established in 1944 by the Lindner Family, St Hallett represents the very spirit and soul of winemaking in the Barossa. For most of that time it was owned, or part-owned, by one family, the pioneering Lindners, who arrived in the Barossa from Silesia in 1838. In 2017, St Hallett was acquired by Accolade. 

St Hallett sources all grapes from within the Barossa and is synonymous with the region's icon variety, shiraz. From the beginning, St Hallett understood the importance of saving old vines and focusing on varieties that thrive in the Barossa region. Strong long-term relationships with focused and passionate growers give St Hallett access to the Barossa's most prized vineyards, some of which were planted over 100 years ago. Over the years, St Hallett has built up a deep understanding of the rich tapestry of vineyard sites and climates in the Barossa and sources the finest vines and highest-quality parcels of fruit the Barossa can offer.

Old Block Shiraz (using grapes from Lyndoch and Eden Valley) is their flagship wine, supported by Blackwell Shiraz (using grapes from Greenock, Ebenezer and Moppa Hills).