Bogans, Old Bastards And Weapons Of Mass Seduction

By Alex Russell on August 1, 2012 in Other

Some of my all-time favourite labels come from the Barossa: Charles Melton, Gibson, Spinifex, Kalleske, Peter Lehmann, Rusden, Tomfoolery, Teusner, Tin Shed, Westlake, Murray Street Vineyards, Greenock Creek, Torbreck, Two Hands, Cirillo, Head Wines, Elderton, Ruggabellus… I could go on and on.

There are so many amazing wineries in the area that it’s just so hard to fit them all in. I mean, look at that list, and I haven’t even included some absolute corkers. One label that I really push people to try though is Kaesler Wines.

So what’s Kaesler got to offer that the others don’t? Well, they have grapes sourced from incredibly old vines for starters, some dating back to 1893, with other vines planted in 1899 and 1930. These are mostly Shiraz vines that survived the travesty of the 1980s vine-pull scheme. Sure, some others in the area date back to the 1850, but these are still incredibly old vines, and old vines mean great fruit, which in turn means great wine.

Perhaps you’re interested in some whites too? Kaesler make a few, including a Semillon, two Rieslings (one of them, the Rizza, is a bit sweeter) and a Viognier (my favourite of the bunch). These are all very easy drinking wines, each with something unique to offer.

Most people go to the Barossa for reds though, and these are what sold me on Kaesler in the first place. To start with, you’ve got the Stonehorse range – a Shiraz and a Rhône blend (Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvedre). Both are fruit-driven (rather than overly oaked) styles. Don’t let their youth fool you, these wines are ready to go, and at around $20, they’re a real bargain.

Then you hit the $25-$30 mark for the Cabernet and the Avignon GSM. If you don’t want to try a Barossa Cabernet, that’s fine. It leaves more of this awesome drop for the rest of us. The Avignon is great too, and for $30 a bottle it’s killer value. It’s like a grown-up Stonehorse GSM – far more mature than its baby brother – and for me it’s is the pick of the bunch. I have more than a few of them in my cellar.

From there we move up to $50 a bottle for ‘The Bogan’ Shiraz (can you get anything more Australian than a Barossa Shiraz called the Bogan?) and ‘The Fave’ Grenache, which I can never find anywhere. Why don’t more people drink Grenache? Honestly, if you like Shiraz, try Grenache. You won’t be disappointed.

There are plenty more wines above this price point too. The ‘Old Vine’ Shiraz for $70ish is a belter, while the ‘Old Bastard’ Shiraz, at $200 a bottle, is the granddaddy of the lot.

All of these wines are quite high in alcohol – up to 16.5% in some years. When a wine is high in alcohol, you’ll often notice a warm feeling in your mouth. Too much of it and you’ll feel a burn. With these wines it’s all very well balanced, so there is no burn at all.

For something special on your next date night, track down the super-rare WOMS Shiraz/Cabernet, which is only made in very good vintages. It’s around 15% alcohol and WOMS stands for ‘Weapons of Mass Seduction’. What more could you ask for?