Kaesler Old Vines Shiraz 2012, Barossa
Deep ruby, tight rim. Bold dark fruit, pungent and sweet spices, cedary, fine mouth-filled tannins, full-bodied with a long finish. It is not overly fruity and is chewy, savoury and made to last. With elegance, it is not another bigger Aussie as it is progressing in reconciliation its tight youthfulness. 2012 is a good vintage for Barossa, with 95 points from Wine Spectator(compared to 2015 and 20120, both 94 points; 2014, 91 points; and 2013, 90 points).
The second day when we tasted the wine again, it's colour have become even more intense and return its blockbuster power, full body and very solid structured.
Old Vine Shiraz is from old vines. It is from an assembly of three parcels of old Shiraz vines blocks aged 53, 49 and 29 years old from 3 different soil types, thus the complextites.
Representing a different and subtle style when compared to its bolder brothers, The Bogan and Old Bastard Shiraz, Old Vines is hand-harvested fruit very early in the morning before heating up by the sun, hence the elegance. Using a relatively short skin contact and raised in French oak( 30% new French oak and the remainder in 1 and 2-year-old French oak), it is racked only twice over two years' wood ageing. It is regularly topped with no filtration, therefore the purity and balance more than mere power.
Old Bastard is undeniably the flagship of Kaesler. However, a lot of wine connaisseurs consider Old Vines much superior to Bogan in terms of stylistics and fruit quality.
Critical acclaims are plenty, including one JH95.
