2023 Releases
"Patience is not merely waiting for something to happen but the ability to maintain a positive attitude during that time.
Patience was fundamental to the 2023 harvest in the Barossa, with the grape picking extending well into May, almost a month later than average.
As grape growers we are farmers and as the saying goes, we always have “one eye on the sky”. Habitually hoping for more rain in our parched landscape, at this critical time of year prior to harvest however, rain is the antagonist.
The ripening phase saw a handful of pesky precipitation events each of which arrived with vexatious timing. To harvest or not to harvest? The repeated question, each time.
The Risk – pick too early and risk thin green under ripe grapes or too late and risk dilute flavours or to lose the entire crop at the hands of fungal diseases or split berries.
The Gain – an extra week or two of sunshine and photosynthesis to increase tannin and anthocyanin in the grape’s seeds and stalks. Ripe and complex grape flavours.
The Results (with Patience):
This gentle elongated ripening creating a special vintage giving us wines of great lusciousness and complexity. Crunchy forefront tannins from the grape skins in conjunction with mellow rounder toning, mouth filling tannin from riper grape seeds. Grip and drive from the lignified stalks alongside the invigorating natural acidity retained due to the cool season, all harmonising to give billowy flow and incredible intricacy.
Some of our most complex and captivating wines to date.
Patience; risky, perhaps – worthwhile, definitely!" - Dan Standish
2023 The Standish
Laycock Family Vineyard, Greenock
100% Shiraz
The Vinorium review by Stuart McCloskey
Tasted April 2025
"Glass staining violet colour – wonderful gloss to the wine too… The bouquet is explosive to put it mildly and leads with mint, mulberry, crème de mûre, dark chocolate, exotic spices, iron filings, graphite and iodine. A mix of florals, minerals and seaweed emerge after more time in my glass. This is incredibly dense and feels bottomless – It’s astonishing how Dan extracts such concentration and intrigue. The palate follows a similar, blacker-than-black path – akin to jumping off a cliff and falling forever. This is such an authoritative wine that drives with ripe mulberry, blackberry, violet pastille, liquorice, mulberry compote, mocha, black olive, alpine herbs, and layers of iron-borne minerals. The tannins spread across the palate and play a vital part to the wine’s overall balance. Essentially, they stand up to the saturated fruit and ripeness. The length is astonishing and tapers off into the abyss with a hint of orange zest. Profoundly good winemaking and comfortably sits alongside Australia’s elite. This is destined for a very long life. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is drinking like a distant dream in 2075… Decanted for 24-hours (poured back into the bottle – cork left out) Served using Zalto Burgundy glassware. Astonishing."
2023 The Schubert Theorem
Roennfeldt Road, Marananga
100% Shiraz
The Vinorium review by Stuart McCloskey
Tasted April 2025
"I am not sure what sense I would miss the most - the ability to smell or taste? Save to say, this is another magical bouquet that rivets you to the spot. Certainly, a little deeper and more brooding than the ’23 Lamella. Each vintage of Schubert Theorem provides the unmissable marine influence – salt, iodine and nori coalesce beautifully with graphite / lead pencil, crème de mûre, mulberry compote, bay leaf, violet, iris, and dark pastille fruits and finishes with mineralité and a vein of blood orange. Fascinating, engaging, wonderfully grown-up, reserved (deliberately so) and sits on the savoury side. Just perfect for me… At first glance – the palate delivers similar qualities to that of the bouquet (wrapped-up in ribbons of silky tannins). She’s mellifluous and caresses like an angel. Tannins and acidity provide sculpted, structure. There is no other wine like Schubert Theorem in Australia. It has all the concentration of a truly great, Aussie wine however, has the poise and grace of a wine from Margaux. Of course, there’s the wine’s exotic personality which resonates proudly. This needs 10-15 years to unlock her true beauty, but she still deserves to be on the world stage. I genuinely find sampling Schubert Theorem an emotional experience. Each year, another extraordinary wine is born. I am humbled and so lucky to sample this ahead of the rest of the world. Decanted for 24-hours (poured back into the bottle – cork left out) Served using Zalto Burgundy glassware. Drink now to 2050…"
2023 Lamella
Hutton Vale Farm, Eden Valley
100% Shiraz
The Vinorium review by Stuart McCloskey
Tasted April 2025
"Despite being the first (globally) to sell out and a raft of critical acclaim (100-points for the 2022), I often find Lamella my least favourite of the quartet, which is a daft thing to declare as it’s still pretty, darn special. Perhaps 2023 has delivered the turning point, and will undoubtedly appeal to those seeking the plushest of plushness. From the first swirl to sniff - the heady perfume hooks you in. Intoxicating and addictive doesn’t cut the mustard. I am floored by the sheer intensity and aromatic complexity. Such an extraordinary bouquet. Addictive and would serve as the best medicine. It’s nigh on impossible to keep the superlatives under control. The intense floral character hits you first (peony and rose). Step into the most intense raspberry liqueur imaginable along with a serving of cinnamon toast, ripe mulberry and plum. I adore the sweet spicing which has a sense of exoticism. As with previous releases (and more airtime) – nori and layers of coal / graphite pervade my glass. Epic, in a word… The palate is wonderfully creamy and feels evocative and luxurious (very expensive, too). This takes fruit quality, depth and breadth to a level I have rarely encountered (and I’ve been sampling wine for over 25 years). Power and intensity does not fight to dominate. Instead, perfect harmony is delivered – intense fruit sits alongside suede-like tannins. The poise and detail are breathtaking. Obsessive in its presentation. Full figured and very, very sexy. Decanted for 24-hours (poured back into the bottle – cork left out) Served using Zalto Burgundy glassware. Drink now to 2050…"
2023 The Relic
Hongell Family Vineyard, Krondorf
99% Shiraz 1% Viognier
The Vinorium review by Stuart McCloskey
Tasted April 2025
"This wine communicates another journey into the abyss. Even darker, deeper, more brooding than The Standish. The bouquet is reticent yet addictive. A chasm of iron ore, an underwater forest of sea kelp, sea salt, marine, iodine-like, the blackest liquorice imaginable, violet and bergamot. Dark fruits emerge from my glass, but at a glacial pace – Everything is shrouded in a blanket of warm earth and dusty spice. The palate is equally entrancing – it is so rare to sample such a commanding wine which delivers a sense of equilibrium (a skill that most winemakers can only dream of). The flavours run long and deep – saturating and epic in every sense. Minty! The palate feel is silky and slippery. Tannins and acidity are measured to perfection. An excellent iteration of this great wine, and with a magnificent life ahead of it. Perhaps the most commanding to date and will be around after I have popped my clogs (50-60+ years). That said, let’s revisit in a decade or so and reassess both our futures… Can I drink this now? Sure, but decant for at least 24-hours. Utterly captivating (give it the time it deserves) and puts many (more expensive) Aussie wines to shame. Decanted for 24-hours (poured back into the bottle – cork left out) Served using Zalto Burgundy glassware."
(The Standish Wine Company / www.standishwineco.com)