Langton’s Selections Rusden Black Guts Shiraz Rusden is one of the big micro names in the Barossa. The 40 acre Vine Vale Vineyard, on white sand over red clay, was purchased by fifth generation grape grower Christine and teacher Dennis Canute in 1979 as a hobby farm. The fruit was sold off to wineries. The Rusden story begins in 1992 when a barrel of Cabernet was made for personal consumption. By 1997 Rusden was making around 5 barrels of wine based on Grenache, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. A chance meeting between son Christian Canute and Dan Phillips – a US importer with strong connections with Robert Parker Jr. – led to the sale of 11 cases of wine and the first of many king-hitting reviews from the wine advocate. This almost overnight success immediately encouraged the Canutes to renovate their vineyard back from a 'machine-deathbed' to a more hand intensive and traditional method of cultivation. Rusden has established a good following for their seductively ripe and well concentrated wines. The Black Guts Shiraz is particularly well received by the secondary wine market achieving solid values and excellent volume of demand. The Chookshed Zinfandel and Boundaries Cabernet Sauvignon occasionally come onto the market. Rusden is not really mainstream, but it has an interesting cult-type following. Further it possesses all the ingredients for long term success. Andrew Caillard MW, Langton's