Bests Thomson Family Shiraz 2017

SKU
BTFS201710 UCAU
  • Internationally acclaimed as one of AU's finest producers
  • 99pts - James Halliday
  • Great wine often tastes that little bit better when it also provides value
  • 1 or more bottles
    $250.00
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  • James Halliday'
    99 points
  • Huon Hooke
    96 points

Editors notes

The iconic old Shiraz vines of Best's distilled into a bottle. This is the pinnacle of the Best's range and extremely limited.

The Best's Great Western Thomson Family Shiraz is the apex wine of this famous winery.

The 15 rows of ancient vines that contribute to this wine were planted in 1868 by founder and Victorian wine pioneer, Henry Best. The wine is only released in the finest vintages, having been made only fourteen times in the last two decades.

It receives the royal treatment from winemaker Justin Purser and co. The fruit is hand picked and ferment in small batches then married to the finest oak. The intent is to create a wine that tells the tale of these old stalwart vines. Something that will age gracefully for decades to come.

Details

Tasting Profile

  • Light (Light)
    Full (Full)
  • Low Tannin (Low Tannin)
    Tannic (Tannic)
  • Sweet (Sweet)
    Dry (Dry)
  • Low Acidity (Low Acidity)
    High Acidity (High Acidity)
  • Aroma
    • Blackberry
    • Blueberry
    • Pepper
  • Palate
    • Blackberry
    • Fruit Cake
    • Tobacco

Food Pairings

  • Pork
  • Red Meat

Critic Scores & reviews

  • James Halliday's Wine Companion

    99
    ""Predominantly from the 1868 plantings, with lesser amounts from 1996 and '70, hand-picked and sorted, 50% crushed, 45% whole berry, 5% whole bunch. You'd stand up for royalty, and that's this wine. To use the spit bucket is lese majeste. Just savour it, drop by drop, as it magically finds its way unbidden down your throat. It's got the full rainbow of cool-grown shiraz flavours, a conjunction with a year made for it by Dionysis, and, glory be, comes with a screwcap.""
  • Huon Hooke

    96
    "Deep purple/red, youthful and bright, the bouquet clean and fresh and loaded with dark-cherry and blackberry aromas, the palate full-bodied, round and soft-textured. The tannins are ample but very fine and seamless, belying its obvious long-term ageing potential. Rich as plush and soft as silk. Power delivered with elegance. Subtle hints of spice. It's still very young and undeveloped, and promises much in the future."

Other vintages

Love this wine? Here's a list of other vintages we have in stock if you'd like to try them as well.

Current auction

All current auctions for this wine & any different vintages.

Locations

Australia

Australia's wine industry is a thriving part of the country's economy, contributing significantly to employment, production, export, and tourism. In fact, the industry is the fourth-largest wine exporter in the world, shipping out 760 million liters of wine to countries including France, Italy, Spain, and the UK. One of the key factors contributing to Australia's success as a "New World" wine producer is the formal export and marketing of its wines through Wine Australia.

Australia's wine regions are scattered across the south and southeast, with almost every state boasting its own vineyards. Victoria, for example, is home to an impressive 21 wine regions. Some of the most famous wine regions in Australia include Margaret River, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Eden Valley, Clare Valley, Hunter Valley, Yarra Valley, and local regions to New South Wales such as Cowra, Southern Highlands, and Mudgee.

Australian winemakers are known for producing a diverse range of grape varieties, with Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir being among the most popular. They tend to focus on producing wines that are ripe, fruit-forward, and easy to drink, using modern winemaking techniques and equipment such as stainless steel tanks and temperature-controlled fermentation.

With its bold, fruit-driven flavors and reputation for quality and diversity, Australian wine has become a popular choice for wine lovers around the world. And with such a broad range of wine regions and grape varieties, there's something for every palate to enjoy.

Victoria

The wine region of Victoria has the highest number of grapevines than any other state in Australia. It is home to over 600 wineries and well-known regions such as Yarra Valley, Heathcote, and Rutherglen. Victoria is situated in the southeastern corner of Australia where due to the location, the climate has a cool maritime influence and is known for its outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, along with producing Australia’s most famed dessert Muscat and Topaque wines.

There are a number of different terroir levels throughout the wine region of Victoria which leads to the production of different ranges of wines. In the southern region of Victoria, the vines are regulated by the cool winds of the Bass Strait. Central Victoria consists of mostly flat terrain that tends to be drier and warmer than the rest of Victoria, which results in more fruit concentrated wines. It may be surprising to note that Victoria is the third most productive wine region in Australia, seeing as it does not have as many areas suitable for viticulture, which has resulted in the cellar door culture of Victoria being concentrated with smaller, but more personal boutique wineries.

Grampians

The Grampians wine region is situated near the Grampians National Park and the Pyrenees hills in Victoria. Only a two hour’s drive west from Melbourne, this area is known primarily for their luscious, full-bodied red wine such as Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, but it is also known to produce crisp, citrus-driven Rieslings.

Home to over 15 wineries, Grampians enjoys a Mediterranean climate because of its closeness to the Southern Ocean which brings a wave of cool winds to the vineyards during the summer. During the daytime, the temperatures tend to range from warm to hot and it cools down to cold temperatures during the night. Autumns in Grampians are blissfully mild which allowing for ideal conditions for ripening grapes. The soil of this region is divided into two main types: soil which is acidic grey brown loamy sands and clay loam soils, and hard yellow soil with structured clay sub soils. Because of the acidity of the soils, the pH levels have to be increased with the addition of lime to make them favorable for grape growth. This may explain the hints of acidity and citruses in the wines of this region.

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Pairs Well With

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Frequently Bought With

About the brand Best's Wines

James Halliday calls Best's "among Australia's best-kept secrets". Now in its 5th generation, Best's, founded in 1866 by British brothers Joseph and Henry Best is one of the country's oldest family owned wineries. When the brothers relocated from Melbourne to Ararat to try their luck in the Victorian Gold Rush, they soon noted instead the profit of the wine growers in the area. With a new focus, they planted their first vines in 1865, making them amongst the oldest in Australia.

Best's winemaker Justin Purser, having worked vintages in New Zealand, Central Otago, Piedmont, Italy and most recently, the Cote d'Or in Burgundy crafts his blends using non-interventionist winemaking, with most of the effort focused on producing quality fruit in the vineyard to start with. Though they feature a wide range of interesting varietals including the likes of Dolcetto and Pinot Meunier, Best's fame lies in their many expressions of Shiraz.

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