Standish The Relic Shiraz Viognier 2021

"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.

"It's full-bodied, rich and kind of syrupy in dark fruit flavour, but gee, the tannin here is very high quality, quite stony and graphite in texture. Lots of perfume and energy and it has so much succulence and perfume. Côte-Rôtie on steroids, maybe. It's good."  Gary Walsh

The Relic is Dan's powerhouse Shiraz Viognier blend. It's the Barossa meets Côte-Rôtie, or  'Côte-Rôtie on steroids' as Gary Walsh opined. As head winemaker at Torbreck, Dan crafted the Run Rig, Torbreck's larger-than-life old vine Shiraz Viognier, and he brings all that knowledge to the fore with 'The Relic'. Full-bodied, lush, creamy-textured and silky.

Erin Larkin reviews the 2021 Standish The Relic Shiraz Viognier (14:10 into the video)

Expert reviews

"The 2021 is creamy, plush and almost sybaritic in its outlay of fruit and tannin. At 15.5% alcohol, it's the highest alcohol wine in the 2021 release, yet it doesn't show that via warmth or harshness in the wine. The whole-bunch component is up slightly this year from last, and honestly, it feels completely invisible in the wine. This is undoubtedly the biggest, most plush wine in the collection, but true to form for Standish, it is balanced and fresh, with a long future in front of it.

The 2021 The Relic Shiraz-Viognier is made with fruit from the Hongell family vineyard, Krondorf. It was made with 1% Viognier co-fermented, with 25% whole bunches in the ferment this year, up from 15% to 20% in 2020. The Relic is one of Australia's greatest Shiraz Viognier wines, and it's a sure thing each year for quality and execution of style. In 2020, it was my preferred wine of the collection for its savory, meaty/bacon fat/bloody character. All elements were in balance, and it managed a savory and floral drive within the same glass. Super cool. This year, I love the wine for all the opposite reasons."  Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate - 98 points

"Sourced from the Hongell family vineyard in the northern Barossa parish of Krondorf. Shiraz co-fermented with 1% viognier; 26% whole bunches. Dan Standish calls this a 'Goldilocks vintage'. I concur. It's a remarkable wine, right up there at the pointy end of shiraz/viognier in our country. Incredibly pure and detailed with pitch-perfect balance, it shows superb fruit density, all plum and blue fruits suffused with spice and meaty nuance, fine, kinetic tannins, the whole-bunch component letting in the lumens, the finish long, sleek and gorgeous. It's a beauty. Drink by 2040."  Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion - 96 points

"Fragrant, juicy, all the dark cherry and apricot stone, some white flower and spice. It's full-bodied, rich and kind of syrupy in dark fruit flavour, but gee, the tannin here is very high quality, quite stony and graphite in texture. There's maybe a bit of warmth, but also lavish blue and black fruit concentration, Turkish apricot and caramel, with a strident and tannic finish of excellent length. Lots of perfume and energy and it has so much succulence and perfume, that you come round to its way of thinking in the end. Côte-Rôtie on steroids, maybe. It's good. 2024-2039+"  Gary Walsh, The Wine Front, 94 points

The relic

99% Shiraz, 1% Viognier. Sourced from the Hongell Family Vineyard, Krondorf. Planted on own roots in 1991. Clay Loam over weathered bedrock with intermittent bands of quartz. Shiraz grown in this part of the Barossa tends to be very aggressively tannic. We planted a single row of Viognier alongside the Shiraz, which is picked on the same morning and co-fermented. The co-fermentation of even a tiny amount of Viognier not only adds heady aromatics to the mix but also softens the otherwise firm tannins. 

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.