The heroic Balgownie Estate Old Vine Shiraz 2013

October 24, 2016

Balgownie Estate Old Vine Shiraz 2013

The pointy end of the Balgownie Range and from a dry, warm vintage. This comes off the oldest 12 rows planted in 1969 and spends 24 months in oak.

Every bit the flasghip wine it is too. Impenetrably dark red, the oak plays a big part in the story here, with the coffeed flavours notable from nose to tail.

That barrel character matches nicely with the very thick flavours, the oak giving richness and contributing some tannin to what is already a very full flavoured red. But it’s also frustrating as the oak is just a bit too dominant, an overt flavour that may never integrate.

My only other gripe then is the alcohol, the warmth on the finish a distraction to what is every bit the dark, earthy, plum and fig style of serious proportions, toppling this over into ‘just a bit too much’ territory.

Easy to appreciate the concentration here though, and it will live forever, even if the balance isn’t quite right.

Best drinking: 2016-2030+. 17.5/20, 91/100. 14.9%, $125. Would I buy it? Not quite.

2013, Bendigo, Shiraz

Andrew Graham was once voted the 23rd most trusted wine critic on the planet. A WCA Journalism Young Gun now old hack with 25yrs as a buyer, judge, journalist, marketer and too much more.

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7 responses to “The heroic Balgownie Estate Old Vine Shiraz 2013”

David

October 24, 2016 at 5:58 pm

Sounds like your classic old school flag ship Shiraz 🙂

Reply
1. Andrew Graham
  
  October 24, 2016 at 8:08 pm
  
  Not far wrong
  
  Reply
Rossco

October 24, 2016 at 6:04 pm

Is there an official ‘standard’ in the industry that you can call your vines ‘old’? I mean 44 years doesn’t really seem that old.
80 years, sure now you are getting up there…. but 44?….. More like Middle Aged Vines (im sure it wont sell as well and the marketing department will go into meltdown).

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Andrew Graham

October 24, 2016 at 8:08 pm

It’s a very fluid term. In Burgundy ‘old’ is more than 30-40yrs (due to constant replanting).

In the Barossa anything over 35 is considered old: http://www.barossa.com/wine/the-barossa-old-vine-charter

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Tony Winspear

October 26, 2016 at 10:32 am

Balgownie was the first commercial vineyard planted in the Bendigo region in the modern era (1969)
All vineyards ,in what was then a flourishing wine district, were pulled out at the behest of the Governor in the late 1880’s due to phylloxera. So we have the oldest vines in the district. I would argue in any case that really old shiraz vines should be called “ancient” as a better description. Depending on where you are vines start to crop lower after 40 odd years so I don’t think it’s unreasonable to call them “old” after this time.

Reply
1. Andrew Graham
  
  October 26, 2016 at 10:56 am
  
  I agree – over 40 is absolutely in the ‘old vines’ camp.
  
  On that note, what are the next oldest vines in Bendigo Tony? I know the Harcourt Valley Vineyards are reasonably old too?
  
  Reply
Tony Winspear

October 26, 2016 at 10:55 pm

There is a run of commercial vineyard establishment in the Bendigo district in the early 70’s with the following vineyards and dates showing up after some (quick) research.
1/ Waterwheel, Bridgewater 1970
2/ Burnt Acre, Marong 1972
3/ Blanche Barkly, Inglewood 1972
4/ Chateau Leamon, Bendigo 1973
5/ Harcourt Valley Vineyard 1976

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