Two fine Boxing Day wines

2006 The Standish Single Vineyard Shiraz, Barossa Valley, 

The Standish Wine Company 

(above and below)

Being away for Christmas has meant that I haven't been choosing all the wines, so there hasn't been a great emphasis on the Loire. For Boxing Day dinner we had a magnum of 2006 The Standish, a single vineyard Shiraz from the Barossa Valley. It was very well balanced – concentration of black fruits but not a head banging Ozzie Shiraz with some freshness in the finish. Decidedly impressive and at 11 years old this still has plenty of life left in it – although it was a magnum. The Standish is a 7.6 hectare vineyard planted in 1912 on its own roots.     

1970 Vintage Port, C. da Silva 

We opened a bottle of this 1970 Port from C da Silva a few weeks back. It was relatively light and I thought it was time to drink up any other bottle we have over the next couple of years or so. The bottle we opened yesterday was considerably more concentrated, more complex with a long finish. A fine bottle indeed. Interesting that even with vintage Port there appears to be considerable bottle variation.