St Hallett Old Block Shiraz 2018

This is the flagship of St Hallett's wines and has become one of the great icons of Australian wine. The 2018 Old Block Shiraz is a blend of fruit from the Barossa Valley (66%) and the Eden Valley (34%). 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. 

"The palate is soft and round, with mellow red fruit flavours, deliciously supple and fleshy, with a nice touch of sweet fruit at the heart, beautifully harmonised with fine grained tannins. Long carry. Lovely drinking now and for several years hence."  Huon Hooke

"These ancient vines produce small crop levels, resulting in seamless wines of complexity and longevity. The 2018 Old block Shiraz has an intense ruby colour with purple hues. A complex and elegant nose with hints of dark fruits, rich dark chocolate and cinnamon spice. A vibrant and elegant wine on the palate, it offers rich fruit notes of satsuma and damson plums with layers of rich dark chocolate, and complex spices of cinnamon, cedar oak with hints of black pepper and nutmeg. The wine has a long and well-defined acid backbone, with a harmonious and long finish."  St Hallett

Expert reviews

"The 2018 Old Block Shiraz is, as usual, a blend of two areas within the Barossa Zone: Barossa Valley (66%) and Eden Valley (34%). From my tastings over the years, I am really attracted to the 2018 vintage in the Barossa. Fruit has an easy gloss, a polish and a concentration that makes it so exciting to drink in its youth, but you know these wines will age, because they are possessed of supreme structure and shape. So, the 2018 Old Block is supple, almost slinky, medium-bodied, red-fruited, almost velvet, but light on its feet. There are suggestions of Earl Grey tea, graphite and fennel from Eden and a hint of red dirt and meaty body and density from Barossa, and it's just enough to create magic in the mouth. This is superb. Truly awesome."  Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate - 97 points

"Deep crimson. Glossy and polished with beautiful blackberry, dark cherry inky, graphite aromas with mocha/ dark chocolate notes. Well balanced wine with lovely pure blackberry pastille, dark cherry fruits, fine slinky tannins, very good mid palate richness and attractive roasted chestnut complexity. Finishes cedar/ claret firm and juicy. A very expressive but not overly powerful Barossa Shiraz with the definition and torque for long term aging. All the elements in balance but keep for a while to allow the fruit, acidity, tannin and oak to fold. Average age of vines is 96 years. Drink 2025 – 2040."  Andrew Caillard MW, The Vintage Journal - 97 points

"Deep red with a tinge of purple, very good colour for its age; it has a reserved nose of savoury developing aromas, a trace of dried spices, the palate soft and round, with mellow red fruit flavours, deliciously supple and fleshy, with a nice touch of sweet fruit at the heart, beautifully harmonised with fine grained tannins. Long carry. Lovely drinking now and for several years hence. Drink 2022-2040."  Huon Hooke, The Real Review - 95 points

"This is a full flavoured and supple red. It feels inky and very rich, dark fruited, a lift of raspberry, layered with woody spice and seasoned with black pepper, cedar and clove, Chinese five spice. Lush. It’s well balanced in its elements, pulses with brushed velvet texture and finishes with a pucker of chalky tannin and bright, lemony acidity. The finish a quibble at this stage. Mellow in its gait, mouth-staining and ample, it feels pedigree as it does complex as it does bold. Well done, here. Drink: 2024 - 2035+."  Mike Bennie, The Wine Front - 94 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).