Standish Lamella Shiraz 2018

"I consider Dan Standish the reigning king of Barossa Shiraz."  Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate

Dan Standish has the Barossa Valley running through his veins. A 6th Generation native, Dan created his Standish label in 1999 whilst still working at Torbreck. Today his wines are some of the most highly sought-after in the world and are critically acclaimed both here in Australia and internationally.

"The Eden sings brightly, with crystalline purity, here.  This is elegant and fine, with a sweet creaminess to the edges of the fruit.  But only as it evolves.  As it opened it was tight and cool, speaking of blackberry, blackcurrant, white pepper and clove.  Now, after a few hours, this is all about salted raspberry, plush tannins that have a plump and chew that is addictive, and a fruit profile that dances in and out of the black and red… as rhythmic and unpredictable as a Roulette wheel.  This is about as perfect as shiraz gets in my book.  Yes yes yes.  But go slow and gentle… the evolution over time is astounding and eloquent."  Erin Larkin

The Lamella is an imperious and beguiling wine, the pinnacle of Eden Valley Shiraz. A wine to rival Hensche's Hill of Grace and Mt Edelstone. Fruit is sourced from the Angas family vineyard, Hutton Vale Farm. This vineyard is right in the middle of Mt Edelstone and Hill of Grace vineyards as the crow flies. Cuttings came from the Mt Edelstone vineyard and were planted in the early 1960s. 

Erin Larkin reviews the 2018 Standish Lamella Shiraz (3:20 into the video)

Expert reviews

"Another potentially perfect wine, the 2018 Lamella Shiraz, from the Eden Valley, is full-bodied and velvety in texture. Offering swirls of complex mixed berries, tea and spice, it finishes long and tannic, with plenty of backbone and structure, plus intriguing hints of espresso and chocolate. In contrast to The Standish, it's more impressive, while The Standish is more opulent and generous. Drink: 2023-2040."  Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate - (98-100) points

"The Eden sings brightly, with crystalline purity, here.  This is elegant and fine, with a sweet creaminess to the edges of the fruit.  But only as it evolves.  As it opened it was tight and cool, speaking of blackberry, blackcurrant, white pepper and clove.  Now, after a few hours, this is all about salted raspberry, plush tannins that have a plump and chew that is addictive, and a fruit profile that dances in and out of the black and red… as rhythmic and unpredictable as a Roulette wheel.  This is about as perfect as shiraz gets in my book.  Yes yes yes.  But go slow and gentle… the evolution over time is astounding and eloquent."  Erin Larkin, erinlarkin.com.au - 98 points

"Hutton Vale Farm, Eden Valley. It’s sold out at the winery, I believe, and for me, it’s the best, and most complete wine from the 2018 releases. I don’t think Barossa/Eden Shiraz gets much better than this, and, so pleasingly, oak is not a feature of the wine. Great wines, to my tastes, are rarely oak-driven. It’s the quality of tannin that marks this out as a special wine. So dense, so 'mineral', it’s a cascade of shale tumbling through the mouth. Perfume of Earl Grey tea, sage and mint, black cherry and blueberry, chocolate and espresso. It’s fresh, with a raspberry succulence, inner-perfume of dried rose and lavender, cooling almost minty fresh acidity, poached rhubarb, and a slick of ferrous tannin on a finish of enormous length. Immense structure, delivered with precision and grace. It feels like falling into a private universe. Drink: 2023-2040+."  Gary Walsh, The Wine Front - 98 points

"From the Hutton Vale Vineyard. This is very fragrant, very spicy and lightly peppery with such a distinctive nose, offering blueberries and some cedary oak, as well as berry-pastry, pie-crust and spicy notes. The palate has such distinctive freshness and detail with a granular texture to the tannins (100% whole cluster fermentation) and brightness from cooler-climate acidity. Dense, focused finish. This needs five years to settle, best from 2026."  James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com - 97 points

Lamella

100% Shiraz. 100% whole bunch. Sourced from the Angas family vineyard, Hutton Vale Farm, Eden Valley. Cuttings came from the Mt Edelstone vineyard and were planted in the early 1960s. The Angas family originally owned the Mt Edelstone vineyard – they sold it to the Henschke family. This vineyard is right in the middle of Mt Edelstone and Hill of Grace vineyards as the crow flies. Dan exclusively sources from the northern part of the vineyard.

About the Winery

Dan Standish has the Barossa Valley running through his veins. A 6th Generation native, Dan created his Standish label in 1999 whilst still working at Torbreck. Today his wines are some of the most highly sought-after in the world and are critically acclaimed both here in Australia and internationally.

Standish Wine Company is a strikingly beautiful winery located in the Barossa Valley. The winery and vineyards are owned by Dan and Nicole Standish. Dan was first introduced to the art of pruning grape vines by his grandfather at the young age of six in their ancestral vineyard. He founded The Standish Wine Company in 1999 after securing a section of his family vineyard in the Barossa Valley. The same ancient plants that Dan carefully hand pruned are now used to produce his old vine shiraz, fittingly titled 'The Relic'.

Dan and Nicole work side by side at their modern, cavernous winery. The large stone and brick building is framed by lavender bushes and grand old vines. They purchased the site in 2013 a decade after it was built by French-managed company The Colonial Estate. The structure is like something straight out of France's Rhone Valley or Spain's Rioja, both parts of the world that Dan has worked in. He also made wine in California's Napa and Sonoma Valleys, before working for Torbreck. 

The estate produces a number of examples of Barossa Shiraz, including 'The Relic', 'The Standish', The Schubert Theorem and Lamella. Each wine is produced with the utmost attention to detail, blending traditional techniques with modern technology.