2006 St. Hallett Shiraz Old Block

Vines planted 1906 originally with most of them now from a 1927 planting with some planted 1913 and some 1950. Old Block was one of the first Barossa wines to make an international play for the age of the vines responsible for it. Toby the winemaker presented it and, before a surfing analogy that rather went over the heads of us Londoners, told us, 'I like this wine to be like a really old chesterfield – it should wrap itself around you.' It was very dark indeed with a topnote of tar. Sweet, it almost tasted of molten brown sugar at first but the finish was a bit uncomfortably tarry for me and the acid a little too austere. Someone had left an upturned hairbrush on my chesterfield. Old vines, we were told, are all about management. (JR)