2010 Best's Great Western Thomson Family Shiraz 750ml

Minor Capsule Damage

Overview

Best's Thomson Family Shiraz is the flagship expression of the historic Great Western vineyard, produced predominantly from Henry Best's original Shiraz vines planted in 1867. Made only in exceptional years, on average around six times per decade, the wine is classified “Outstanding” by Langton's.

Vineyard

The wine is produced predominantly from fifteen rows of Henry Best's original 1867 Shiraz plantings, recorded as “Hermitage” in his daily journal. The clone is now referred to by the CSIRO as the Concongella clone and is the mother clone of subsequent Shiraz plantings at Best's Great Western. The vines are cropped at less than two tonnes per acre (four tonnes per hectare).

Vintage

Very good winter and spring rainfall gave the vineyards a strong start to the 2010 season. A warm spring brought early budburst without frost, while the deep root systems of the old dry-grown vines maintained canopy health through several heatwaves. Predominantly warm summer conditions followed by clear days and cool nights provided very good ripening and harvest conditions.

Winemaking

The fruit was meticulously hand-harvested, selected and sorted. Thomson Family Shiraz was hand plunged and fermented in small open fermenters.

Producer Tasting Notes

Colour: “Inky garnet with a vermillion hue.”

Bouquet: “Slightly closed then gradually opening to reveal a heady mixture of black fruits, bitter chocolate, dried flowers, white pepper and innumerable secondary aromas including leather, liquorice and tobacco.”

Palate: “Ultra-rich tightly structured liquored fruits. The seductive fruit, tannin, acid mix persists longingly in the mouth.”

Critic Reviews

97/100 — Halliday Wine Companion
Tasted 18 March 2012
“Deep crimson-purple; made predominantly from vines planted in 1868, and is genuinely a wine that is only made in the best vintages. I can't help but think when I taste a wine such as this that my ashes will have been scattered decades before it fulfils all of its potential. It has lashings of blackberry, plum, blackcurrant and touches of licorice and mint; the tannins are quite obvious, but ripe and in balance for a wine so blessed with great fruit. Bottle no. 833 of 4200.”
Published 21 June 2021

96/100 — Jeremy Oliver
Tasted January 2011
Drinking Window: 2022–2030.

96/100 — The Wine Front

Specifications

• Vintage: 2010
• Producer: Best's Great Western
• Grape Variety: Shiraz
• Region: Great Western, Victoria, Australia
• Classification: Langton's Outstanding
• Alcohol: 14.0%
• Winemaker: Adam Wadewitz
• Viticulture: Old dry-grown vines; hand harvested
• Fermentation: Small open fermenters; hand plunged
• Cellaring: 5–20+ years from vintage
• Drinking Window: 2018–2040