Standish Lamella Shiraz 2020

"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.

"Intense, concentrated Shiraz here. So dense, floral, bergamot, liquorice and chocolate, black fruit and dried raspberry, spice and peppermint (down low). Full-bodied, dark and perfumed, distinct raspberry coulis flavour, earthy and bold, kind of ferrous too, tea-like tannin of richness, lavish and stony/earthy feel and persistence, a fresh ‘mineral’ feel to acidity,. What a wine! Perfume, power, all the things. It’s an outstanding spicy iteration of Lamella. And that tannin. Essence-like. Sheesh."  Gary Walsh

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 2020 Standish Lamella Shiraz (2:30 into the video)

Expert reviews

"The Eden Valley fruit gives a unique cool fruit character of blue fruits, iron and white pepper. Granite. Medium to full body, with tight and integrated skin tannins and a gunpowder undertone. Fantastic length. A little closed now. Drink after 2025."  James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com - 98 points

"The 2020 Lamella Shiraz was made with fruit from the Angas family vineyard in the Eden Valley (Hutton Vale Farm), with cuttings from the Mt. Edelstone vineyard, which is close by. It is made with 100% whole bunches in the ferment. "This is the last pick, and by that time the stems have fully lignified," said Dan Standish. It is floral, and granitic and minerally and über spicy all at once. It is the elegant wine of the lineup, thanks to the elevated vineyard and the cooling acid, but it also is possessed of a nuance and range of flavor that makes it distinct from the others. The Lamella has the breadth and range that the other two do not (making it neither better nor worse, just an observation), and it covers a lot of ground within that. It is shaley, and rocky and mineral, but it is also slightly herbal (there is fresh coriander and a hint of bay in there); the fruit is concentrated and pure and also has a splay of spice through the finish - licorice, star anise and a shake of allspice. Zoom out, and the wine has volumes of flavor and pillowy texture - it really does have it all. Due to the vintage conditions, I expected to be met by a dense wall of unforgiving flavor and tannin. Instead, it is possessed of a galaxy of flavor, pintucked into folds of texture and all of it spooling out over an interminable finish. Drink: 2022-2047."  Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate - 97+ points

"Intense, concentrated Shiraz here. So dense, floral, bergamot, liquorice and chocolate, black fruit and dried raspberry, spice and peppermint (down low). Full-bodied, dark and perfumed, distinct raspberry coulis flavour, earthy and bold, kind of ferrous too, tea-like tannin of richness, lavish and stony/earthy feel and persistence, a fresh ‘mineral’ feel to acidity,. What a wine! Perfume, power, all the things. It’s an outstanding spicy iteration of Lamella, and if the vintage was difficult, well, you’d never know. And that tannin. Essence-like. Sheesh. Drink: 2025-2040+."  Gary Walsh, The Wine Front - 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.