From a prolific sixth generation Barossa Valley grape growing family, Dan Standish knows a thing or two about vines and the vineyards of the region. Harvest stints in California’s Napa and Sonoma valleys, La Rioja and Yecla in Spain coupled with extensive travel and study of France’s Rhône Valley reinforce his intricate local knowledge with a diverse international bent. The Standish Wine Company vintage cellar and barrel store is intimately designed to fully embrace and nurture the individuality afforded by clone, soil and aspect. Tiny open top oak fermentation vats allow single parcels – even single rows – to be vinified separately, enhancing the intricate personality of each specific soil profile.

Oooh. A lovely choc-hazelnut bar kind of thing happening here, blueberry and blackberry, spicy too, which is kind of unusual for Roenfeldt, and maybe a character of the vintage. Lots of tannin, kind of gummy and firm, a tea-like flavour and perfume too, Really quite sticky in feel, but ample fruit flavour, lots of mouth-perfume, again the blueberry richness, and iron grip of tannin to close on a long and fresh finish. Here’s a wine of potency and power, that will need many years to roll out. Exotic spice punctuates the finish. Wow. This is intense and firm. Tasted: May 2022; Alcohol: 14%; Closure: Cork; Drink: 2024-2040+; Rated: 96+ Points; Gary Walsh; The Wine Front