Dutschke Wines 2018 Oscar Semmler Shiraz (3 Bottles) Barossa Valley 96 points

AUSTRALIA WIDE SHIPPING INCLUDED

Oscar Semmler made a lifetime contribution to the success of the Barossa Valley’s wine industry, having held positions of Chairman with both the Barossa Co-Operative Winery and the Australian Wine and Brandy Association during the 1960 and 1970s.

We are proud to dedicate this, our best structured and most flavoursome Shiraz, to Oscar, a man held in high esteem for his enthusiasm, innovation and encouragement that he gave to others.

Shiraz from the St. Jakobi Vineyard 5-acre “1975 Block” matures in barrels for between 18 and 22 months and during this time we regularly taste each barrel and make note of the best structured and most mouth filling parcels. Towards the end of 2019 the selected barrels were chosen for the “Oscar”, our reserve label for Dutschke representing “the best of the vintage” from the St. Jakobi Vineyard.

In 2018 the 75 Block Shiraz was harvested on two separate occasions, picking the eastern 18 rows on the 2nd of March and going back into the vineyard on the 6th of March to complete the harvesting of the remaining 14 rows to the west.

The two separate parcels were fermented individually for 7-8 days in stainless steel open fermenters under our shed verandah roof, before being drained, basket pressed and then transferred to oak hogsheads to complete the secondary fermentation.

Post malo-lactic fermentation all barrels were transferred (lightly racked) to tank. The next day the wine was returned to the same oak barrels and left to mature for a further 19 months.

A barrel selection of the most mouth filling wines was made. By transferring the selected French (and one lonely American) oak hogsheads to tank the Oscar Semmler bottling blend was prepared.

Our 2018 Oscar Semmler Shiraz displays mouth filling fruit flavours and fullness, with crisp acidity, tannin and oak support to age gracefully in bottle for many years.

96 points, James Halliday Wine Companion 2022

St Jakobi Vineyard. Lyndoch may not be as revered as the fabled parishes of the northern and western Barossa, but this wine alone is a statement that it should be held in equal if not higher regard. Wayne Dutschke exemplifies that wonderful Barossa juxtaposition of sweet, ripe black fruit density and the refinement of crunchy definition, freshness and violet-infused detail. I’ve been avidly following, buying and cellaring Oscar for decades and I cannot recall such detail, mineral tannin finesse and undeterred persistence