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On 21 May 2009, Andrew Wigan, Chief Winemaker at Peter Lehmann Wines, presented a complete vertical of Stonewell Shiraz in London.The story of Stonewell was summed up by Wigan as “a lot of blood, sweat and tears.” Having formally established his eponymous winery in 1982, Peter Lehmann wanted to make a “Show Dry Red” in 1987. After all the red wines had been made, the best lot was picked out and put into American oak. The first two vintages of Stonewell were “made after the event, a selection of barrels after the vintage,” explained Wigan, though for subsequent vintages fruit selection became an important aspect of the wine’s philosophy. “As far as we were concerned, until 1988, grapes grew on the back of trucks,” he quipped.
Stonewell Shiraz is, said Wigan, “by definition, the greatest Shiraz of the vintage at Lehmann.” The grapes are drawn mainly from old, low-yielding vineyards in the drier western areas of the Barossa Valley. The oldest contributor to Stonewell is the Schrapel vineyard in Ebenezer, planted in 1885. The youngest vineyard belongs to John Russell and was planted in 1992 in Kabininge. Different growers are used each year because, said Wigan, “different vineyards come up in different years… We want to make our best expression of Barossa Shiraz, whatever that might be.”
From the 1996 vintage, French oak has been used increasingly, settling on 90% from 2001. It has always been released at four or five years age. As Wigan pointed out, “it’s an expensive wine to make – French oak casks and five years of ageing.” Lehmann pays $8,000 per tonne for Stonewell grapes compared to $1,500 for non-Stonewell, “so it is a great incentive for growers to pursue quality.”
A thousand dozen-bottle cases were made in the first three vintages, with production increasing to 3,500 cases in 1991 after the Jimmy Watson Trophy win for the 1989. In the 1998 and 2002 vintages 5,000 cases were made, with the average about 2,500 in recent years.
Even Wigan admitted, “The early wines are quite simple and lack the complexity that we had from the mid-1990s on.” The older wines oxidized in the glass, losing any freshness they might have had at first, but there was not time to retaste. Overall though, the wine was never over-extracted, over-alcoholic, or jammy.
This is a selection of the best wines from this fascinating and rewarding tasting. Stonewell Shiraz represents excellent value for a wine that endures so well.
1989
Colour as before. Lovely nose, fresher and more youthful than the 1988, with dark fruit aromas. Big, plump palate, much richer than the previous two wines, with a better balance of fruit and acidity, though there is a bit of an acidic kick on the finish. Perfectly mature—drink now. Winner of the Jimmy Watson Trophy for “best 1-year old dry red” at the 1990 Melbourne Wine Show and deserving of its reputation. This was the first vintage of Stonewell to be barrel fermented.
1992
Colour as before, with a little bit more purple at the core. Dark chocolate nose with some mint. A return to some stuffing in the wine, with the tannins a little bit chewy but not hard. Plenty of acidity again but it is in synch with the fruit. The finish is excellent – rich, flavoursome and long. A good Stonewell, a bit fresher than 1989, so just beating that to be the best one yet. Drink now or age another 3+ years.
1996
A bit more purple at the core than before. The first wine that smells of young Barossa wine: dark chocolate, mint and eucalyptus, and a bit of leather that suggests maturity is not too far off. Fresh and vivid, with more tannins than any previous wine but these are silky and fine, even if the wine is far from ready on the palate. A rich, long finish confirms this as the best one so far in this tasting. Drink now to 2015+? For this vintage of Stonewell French oak hogsheads were used for the first time for part of the fermentation and maturation.
1997
More purple again. Totally different to 1996. A bit closed but it feels older on the nose! Much more generous on the palate, presenting a big mouthful of tannin, not hard but certainly bigger and more extracted than previous wines. The finish is rich and long. Another good Stonewell. Age to 2015+? The amount of French oak used increased to 64% for this vintage.
1998
Deep purple, opaque at the core. Rich, ripe, sweet fruit on the palate, though with less conspicuous tannins than those of the 1997. Like Peter Lehmann himself, this is big and generous, as per 1989. The nose is quite challenging at the moment, though – quite closed and a bit volatile. Drink now to 2015? Andrew Wigan remembered 1998 as “an amazing vintage. Everything on the tasting bench was black.” French oak was again increased to 70%.
2000
Colour as before, tinged by garnet at the rim. A tobacco note on the nose, but not yet fully open and developed. A return to the plump, rich palate style of 1994 and before, with very well-amalgamated tannins, nice acidity, excellent balance and good length. A very good Stonewell. Drink now to 2015? The same oak regime as for the 1999 – 73% French and 27% American oak hogsheads for 18 months.
2001
Colour as before. Creamy-oak nose, very lush and enticing, as is the palate, which is full of generous, opulent fruit and some tannins to add interest to the lush fruit texture. Very sexy and moreish. Drink now to 2015 but probably at its best now for that lush fruit. French oak settled at 90% for this vintage, the remaining 10% American.
2005
Colour as before, but a shade deeper. Prunes rather than raisins on the nose, which again hints at late-picked, very ripe fruit. A bit of toasty oak is also still apparent. Very lush and approachable on the palate, though, and drinkable now, with its very supple and silky tannins. Now to 2020? This was released in 2009 as the first Stonewell bottled under Stelvin.
2006
Bright ruby purple. Less raisiny on the nose than 2005 or 2004 and better for it, showing some of the vividness and brightness of the ’96. Rich, ripe and generous, albeit with very youthful flavours at the moment, so age to 2020+ for more interest. Excellent balance and a punchy finish. To be released in 2010. As a point of comparison with the inaugural Stonewell, the 2006 has an alcohol level of 14.5%; the 1987 sits at 13%.
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