Tim Dolan Kaesler Barossa

Valley

Kaesler is more or less situated smack bang in the middle of the Barossa. We are only a short distance from some worldfamous wineries. We count ourselves very lucky to be involved with a great community of like-minded companies that are striving to make iconic Barossa wines of the highest quality.

There is clonal difference between the Shiraz at our two vineyard sites. Typically, the bunches in Marananga are more elongated, with smaller berries, compared to our “home” blocks. The soil type at our Marananga site is complex and incredibly varied, from deep loam to shalier and rocky soils on the steeper slopes. Around the Kaesler winery, the soil type is quite consistent: sandy loam over clay with little change in aspect. The Marananga parcels typically ripen a little earlier and produce crops that are lower yielding and more concentrated.

Old vines are typically old for a reason: they consistently produce fruit of excellent quality. If they didn’t, it would be a simple exercise in economics to pull the block out and replant with something that improved yield and quality, and the bottom line.

Vineyards that are over 100 years of age are in rare air. The team have a huge responsibility to ensure the vines are first and foremost healthy, and that they

Old Bastard 2020

Released autumn 2023 capture the essence of what the Barossa is most famous for. Virtually everything is done by hand. The winemaking team try to take a hands-off approach to making the wine. We’re really trying to capture the work that has been done in the vineyard.

From the oldest vineyard on the Kaesler Estate, planted in 1893. There are just 12 surviving rows, producing minuscule quantities each year. The 2020 is a monumental wine, coming from a very dry and challenging year. The wine is well balanced and a fantastic representation of what a 125-year-old vineyard can produce in a difficult season.

Our grapes are now typically picked a lot earlier than in the period from mid to late 2000s. Average alcohols have reduced considerably, the fruit profile is much more pronounced, and the new oak percentage has slowly been dialled back to provide a strong backbone, rather than being the most obvious feature of the wine. Kaesler has always been known for producing wines that are typically rich and generous; we don’t shy away from that. But we are receptive to consumer tastes and want to ensure that we slowly evolve to remain relevant in the marketplace.

In the Barossa we’ve seen a trend away from those high-octane red wines that were prevalent throughout the late 90s and 2000s to a far more balanced approach. This change has been partly consumerled, but there’s also been a realisation

The Bogan

RRP £32.95

Full of warmth and personality, this full-bodied Shiraz is made from a blend of parcels of estate fruit from vines planted between 1899 and the 1960s. The wine is lifted and complex, with sweet black and red berry fruit on the palate and seamlessly integrated oak.

The Kaeslers arrived in the Barossa Valley in the 1840s and by 1891 had acquired 96 acres. The estate was planted to bush-vine Shiraz, Grenache and Mataro in 1893 – and some of the original Shiraz vines still produce intense fruit that is destined for the flagship Old Bastard. Wines imported by Jeroboams Trade that making wines of this style wasn’t sustainable. The vines were put under too much stress, and the resulting wines would often not cellar well.

Consumer tastes have evolved to a more medium-bodied style of wine; fruitforward and with immediate drinkability. We have seen increased demand for Grenache and Grenache-based blends. This coincides with a demand for more fragrant, slightly lighter styles of Shiraz and Cabernet. Kaesler is well-suited to both these styles, along with our more traditional offerings, The Old Vine Shiraz and Old Bastard, which are richer, more intense wines that demand more time in the bottle to reach their full potential.

In 2007, our viticulturist Nigel van der Zande engaged with Trees for Life to set about planting a 15-acre parcel of land on the Kaesler Estate. This area is on a flood plain and unsuitable for vines, so Nigel could activate his inner hippie and revegetate it with native species of trees and bushland. He and his team realised they could reduce our carbon footprint, lower the water table and thus reduce soil salinity. They have also set about replanting other areas not under vine with native trees. We have seen native fauna return, including some rare bird species – a success Nigel probably values more than the quality of fruit he produces.

Reach for the Sky Shiraz

RRP £22.95

From a block of the Marananga vineyard that was planted using cuttings taken from the renowned Old Bastard and Alte Reben vines. Deep in colour, it has a vibrant nose of blueberry and blackberry notes with layers of mocha and spice. The silky palate is rich with plums and berries, hints of fruit cake and ripe, supple tannins.

Dave Cushley launched Feral Pig Wines within the premises of boutique hotel Llys Meddyg in Newport, Pembrokeshire, last month.

Cushley, who has a background in the on-trade and worked as a head sommelier for many years, moved back to south Wales