"Medium-bodied; ripe, rich blackberry and plum fruit; soft tannins run through the length of the palate; controlled oak, and a long finish. Vines planted in the 1950s. Drink by 2020." (10/06)
90 Josh Raynolds - Vinous Media
"Saturated purple. Powerful, liqueur-like blueberry and plum aromas are accented by exotic fruitcake and licorice. Fat and oily, with sweet dark fruit compote flavors, soft tannins and a late kick of clove. Exotic stuff, finishing sweet, velvety and long. This one won't convince traditional palates, though." (07/07)
Product Description:
Wine:
"The Power of One best explains our passion for the great grape, Shiraz. This wine is a tribute to the gnarly old vines planted in the 1950s on the Adelaide Plains that escaped the vine pull schemes of the 1980s. Hand made with minimal intervention, basket pressed, open fermenters and bottled without filtering. Share our passion for the Power of One." - Winery
Vineyard:
"Great wine begins in the vineyard and for Old Plains and Longhop nothing is more important. Our vineyards are unique, remnant plantings that have survived urban expansion and the pursuit of other agricultural profits. They also escaped the vine pull schemes that were popular during the 1980s. These government sponsored schemes saw old, low yielding vines uprooted with the help of subsidies and replaced by cash crops of vegetables and wheat. In some instances vast tracts of old vine shiraz was replaced by chardonnay! What a waste."
"The remaing small vineyards are true masterpieces of wine grape flavour, weathered, gnarly and magnificent in their defiance of commercial expansion. Wine made by flavour not by numbers, is one way of describing our approach to winemaking. Its a year round, hands on approach that makes our wine unique. The hard work never seems to end but seeing the wines evolve over time is truly rewarding." - Winery
This was also scored 89 Points by Jay Miller, and 89 Points by Robert Parker in the Wine Advocate, and 88 Points by the Wine Spectator.