Standish The Schubert Theorem Shiraz 2021

Halliday Wine Companion Top 100 Wines of 2024

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 is a stunning wine of great balance, detail and complexity. I used to call this 'Darth Schubert' when I lived in the Barossa due to its label. Intensely coloured with a head-spinning purity to its fruit profile, it's a hell of a wine from a cracking vintage. Beautifully composed and crackling with energy and vitality despite its opulent fruit profile. Tannins wide, commanding and powder fine fade slowly back into the lush ironstone-dusted blue fruits. It's epic."  Dave Brookes

Erin Larkin reviews the 2021 Standish The Schubert Theorem Shiraz (11:50 into the video)

Expert reviews

"It glows with its own black light. It shimmers and oscillates between fruit luminescence and plush tannic texture, and in doing so, it barely contains its own energy and abundance. The distinction between this profusion of fruit and the old "fruit bombs" of yore is the precision of acid and pliable fruit tannin that defines the middle palate and the ability of the fruit (courtesy of the winemaking) to shine through the vessels in which it matured. The tannin that shapes the wine is plentiful, make no mistake, yet it is ductile and fine and threads through every aspect of the palate. A thrilling Schubert this year, it's like a strike of lightning on a dark night. This wine appeals most fervently to my penchant for freshness, energy and resonant bass line.

The 2021 The Schubert Theorem Shiraz was made with fruit from the Roennenfeldt Road vineyard, in Marananga, with 70% whole bunches in the ferment. The northeastern corner of this vineyard is matured in concrete egg to preserve the blue-fruited core that defines the style of this wine; it is the only cuvée that features an alternate maturation vessel. I knew (before and) when I tasted the 2019 and 2020 vintages what I was going to get, by and large. When I was in the Barossa in June 2021, I was already thinking about what the Schubert would look like from this year, as the perceived fit of season and style had the potential to dovetail in a most titillating fashion—a "stars aligning" kind of thing. A cool season overlays a warm site capable of producing dark, dense, sometimes brooding, always pure Shiraz. The combination of concrete egg (and, in this case, a slightly shorter maturation in this vessel) and cooler year has produced a wine of scintillating precision and fruit sweetness."  Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate - 99 points

"Six parcels of shiraz picked and fermented separately, from Roennfeldt Road in Marananga, each with its own nuance contributing to the final blend. Pure blackberry from the north, plums from the southern end, white pepper from the flat section and the gorgeous blue fruits from the north-eastern corner. It is a stunning wine of great balance, detail and complexity. I used to call this 'Darth Schubert' when I lived in the Barossa due to its label. I think Dan liked that. At least he laughed. Intensely coloured with a head-spinning purity to its fruit profile, it's a hell of a wine from a cracking vintage. Beautifully composed and crackling with energy and vitality despite its opulent fruit profile. Tannins wide, commanding and powder fine fade slowly back into the lush ironstone-dusted blue fruits. It's epic."  Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion - 98 points and Top 100 Wines of 2024 and Special Value Wine  ★ 

"My word, what an intense purple beast this wine is. Dark cherry, blackberry, liquorice, exotic spice and wafts of incense perfume, dark chocolate and coffee. It's full-bodied, insanely concentrated and powerful, purple and black fruit, toast and liquorice, a mass of rich sooty black tea tannin, rippling with fresh picked blackberry acidity, scorched peanuts, and a massive black fruit and tannic finish. Kind of earthy and ferrous too. So much flavour. So much tannin. The level of concentration here is almost painful as a young wine. It saturates the palate. It takes no prisoners. I love tannin, but I'd suggest leaving this alone for maybe a decade. 2029-2045+."  Gary Walsh, The Wine Front - 97+ points

Awards

Halliday Wine Companion Top 100 Wines of 2024

The schubert theorem

100% Shiraz. Sourced from various sections of the Roennenfeldt Road Vineyard in Marananga that is owned by the Helbig Family. Planted on own roots between 1994 & 1999 (12ft x 8ft spacing). The soils are deep red/brown earths with eroded protrusions of crystalline quartz - ranging between 272-296m above sea level.

The connection between the name of the wine and the vineyard is both the Schubert family, and the concept of the sum of parts being greater than the whole… reflecting the vineyard sourcing. The Schubert Theorem lies within a branch of mathematics known as 'knot theory'. It states that any knot can be uniquely decomposed as the connected sum of prime knots. Aptly named, this wine deconstructs the Schubert family vineyard into its distinct sections, taking the finest elements of each, re-assembling to connect and enhance their strengths.

"The most sophisticated and interesting fruit comes from the east facing slope; this vineyard is really about the right clone planted in exactly the right spot, on the right dirt."  Dan Standish

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.