Old Block in the zone: St Hallett Old Block Shiraz 2002

Obligatory hand picture. Label still looks good too

St Hallett Old Block Shiraz 2002 (Barossa, SA)
14.5%, Cork
Source: Kindly dinner companion
www.sthallett.com.au


There is no doubting the joy of a wine like this. Drawn from a record cool season, the style is slightly lighter, more velvety and less overt than other vintages either side of it, tending more towards elegance than power. To be honest, I don’t think this is really going to be more profound or more complex than it is now – it’s on the plateau (to my tastes at least) and as such is really not going to get any better. Drinking very nicely it is regardless.

What it does have is that lovely, black jube and plum deep old vine fruit and cuddly, coffee oak. It’s such a familiar smell – a smell of good modern Barossan reds – and a welcoming one at that. Meaty overtones to the rich sweet plum fruit, the palate soft and silken, again all blackberry juice and a thick, silken, concentrated mid palate, finishing in soft tannins. It’s a somewhat predictable sort of wine perhaps but with much pleasure to be had.

Drink: 2012 – 2020
Score: 18/20, 93/100
Would I buy it? Yes. Wish I had some in my cellar. I’d still drink it sooner rather than later.