2018 Langmeil Orphan Bank Shiraz

Orphan Bank is testament to Langmeil’s commitment to preserving old and rare Barossa vineyards. Ten rows of Shiraz planted pre-1860 were saved from the developer’s bulldozer and replanted alongside the original Langmeil vineyard on the banks of the North Para River. We called these ten rows the “Orphans”, but after 150 years they have a new home.   Medium depth crimson. A rich bouquet of red and blue fruits, herbs and cedar, entwine with hints of sage, roasted and savoury notes. Rich and juicy raspberry and Satsuma plum fill the mouth, with allspice sweetness adding to the mouthfeel. The fruit is well balanced with hints of briary spice and textural, fine-grained tannins on the lengthy finish.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

The beauty of these relocated old vines is that they never seem to yield a wine that's too ripe or too heavy. The 2018 Orphan Bank Shiraz offers up scents of red raspberries and blueberries alongside hints of mint. The oak (all French oak hogsheads, 47% new) is well-balanced and integrated into the wine, barely noticeable in this full-bodied beauty. Supple and charming, it's a very pretty Shiraz—maybe not the biggest or baddest beast—but remarkably elegant and long-lasting on the finish.