Best’s Great Western Icon Range Thomson Family Shiraz 2019 (6 Bottles) Grampians Vic

$1,299.00 GST Included

AUSTRALIA WIDE SHIPPING INCLUDED

The Thomson Centenary Shiraz was created in 1993, to celebrate the centenary of the Thomson family settling in the area of Great Western. This special single vineyard wine was made from the 15 rows of the original 1868 Shiraz vines, planted by Henry Best, and once referred to as ‘Hermitage’ in Henry’s daily journal.

Today, this wine is only made in the very best vintage years and is called Thomson Family Shiraz.

In the past 20 years, only fourteen Thomson Family Shiraz (TFS) wines have been made. Wine specialist Andrew Caillard MW has classified this wine as “Exceptional”, one above “Outstanding” for TFS’s sibling Bin No. 0. Mr Caillard says, “Best’s Thomson Family Shiraz is one of Victoria’s greatest wines and represents a window to Australia’s winemaking past. Like Henschke Hill of Grace and Penfolds Block 42 in the Barossa Valley, the Best’s Concongella Vineyard 1860s plantings at Great Western belong to Australia’s rich heritage of ancient genetic and pre-phylloxera vineyards.”

The 15 rows of original vines produce only very small amounts of fruit. They are cropped at less than two tonnes per acre (four tonnes per hectare) and are meticulously hand-harvested, selected and sorted. A very limited number of cases of our flagship wine are released in our very ‘best’ years. This flagship wine drinks very well now, but its potential is revealed over time, cellared away and brought out to celebrate the good things in life.

The vines are referred to by the CSIRO as the Concongella clone and it is the mother clone of all subsequent Shiraz plantings at Best’s Great Western. Our Magnums are also available from the Shop on line.

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Description

Best’s Wines is celebrated for its rich vineyard resources in Victoria’s Great Western. There are two estates from which Best’s sources its fruit: the grand matriarch and headquarters, “Concongella” at Great Western; and “Salvation Hills”, 13km away at Rhymney. Each vineyard produces distinctly different grape characteristics from vines aged from less than five to 150 years old.

The original Concongella Vineyards around Henry Best’s homestead and winery contain the blocks used to produce the handcrafted Icon range. Established in 1866, “Concongella” estate takes its name from the picturesque Concongella Creek that runs beside the vineyard. The land along the creek is flat with powdery loam overlaying a deep clay sub-soil, while newer plantings are on frost-free hills.

A long, slow-ripening period and continental climate are characteristics of Great Western. The area experiences cold to very cold winters and frequently dry and cool summers, with occasional bursts of hot weather. Managing Director Ben Thomson believes a little vine stress concentrates grape flavour; at Concongella it happens naturally. Despite these natural adversities, Concongella consistently produces high-quality grapes of intense flavour.

Salvation Hills at Rhymney, which was established in 1996 is one of our newer vineyards. Salvation Hills spans across 17 hectares in this subregion of Victoria’s Great Western. The vineyard is at a low risk from frost and enjoys a cool, temperate Mediterranean climate with duplex silty soils overlying fine-textured subsoil with or without siltstone at various depths.

The newest addition to the Best’s vineyard portfolio is the Sugarloaf Creek Vineyard. Take a moment and have a listen to Ben Thomson talk about why this is the most significant acquisition in our history.

The Great Western District Region

Great Western is part of Central Victoria’s Grampians wine region, one of Australia’s most historic and highly regarded wine regions. Great Western is a registered subregion (GIC). Situated along the Western Highway, 218 kilometres or 2 1/2 hours west of Melbourne, Great Western lies between the townships of Stawell and Ararat and onl a short drive to the picturesque Grampians National Park.

The first grapes were planted at Great Western during the 1850s as the gold mining boom receded and people looked for a more permanent means of livelihood. Best’s vineyards planted in 1868 include grape varieties so rare that several have defied attempts at identification and are, in all probability, the sole surviving examples in the world.

The Grampians has enjoyed a long history of viticulture dominated by production of red wines of longevity, elegance and power. Silky smooth Shiraz with flavours and aromas of red cherry, plum, spice and pepper is typical of the regional style.

At Best’s Great Western, we are recognised internationally for the outstanding quality of our Shiraz.

Oatley Fine Wine Merchants

Renamed in August 2015, Oatley Fine Wine Merchants is the Oatley family’s Australian wine distribution business.

Oatley Fine Wine Merchants is focused on becoming a leading independent premium wine merchant recognised for the quality of the wines we offer and for the services we provide to our customers. We are committed to offering the flexibility of representation that meets your venue’s specific needs.

All of our producers are independent and family owned, where heritage and authenticity are key. We work in partnership with the wineries we represent with a commitment to deliver wines of the highest quality and standards. We will continue to evolve the portfolio of wines we offer to ensure we meet the challenges of a constantly changing market and evolving consumer preferences.