Word of Rory Lane’s efforts with the “The Story” label in Melbourne meant that this choice from a wine list was something less than a random walk, more perhaps blindfolded rummaging at home. Â Rory sources the grapes for this wine from the Westgate Vineyard in Armstrong between Great Western and Ararat in western Victoria. Â The vineyard was planted in 1969, and extended in 1988, mainly with the “St Ethel” clone of shiraz, the clone not being a name I see much of.
Happily, the wine in the glass is very good indeed, gently reminding of the regional interest and potency of Grampians shiraz. Â It has aromatics that remind of eucalyptus, spice and plum. Â The palate is full bodied, yet it also retains a balance in its deep expression of plum, pepper and eucalpytus characters. Â This is an excellent wine that is ready to drink now, but almost certainly has a long life ahead of it.
Rating: Very Good, Abv: 14%, Price: $50, Vendors: http://www.wine-searcher.com/, Website: http://thestory.com.au, Tasted: 2014