Shiraz has been the hallmark variety of Best's since the first vines were planted back in the 1868. Our Bin 0 has been around since the beginning, as well as the top grade of wine produced. Picked off the Concongella vineyard here at the winery, these wines show balance and length with a generous and rounded fruit structure, and have a natural ability to age.
Best’s Bin 0 Shiraz is produced from the four original Shiraz plantings in the low yielding blocks of the historic Concongella vineyard at Great Western. This includes nineteenth century and mid twentieth century plantings of Shiraz which result in very low yielding vines that produce intense flavours.
The 1999 “F.H.T.” follows in the widely acclaimed reputation of fine Shiraz produced from grapes grown exclusively on Best’s Concongella vineyard. Great Western Shiraz is renowned for its longevity, however maturation in oak puncheons for over two and a half years prior to bottling makes this Shiraz very approachable even as a young wine.
Released in our 150th year, this wine celebrates Best’s history. Sparky’s Block is a special parcel of Shiraz on some of the best soil in the Concongella Vineyard. Sparky is the nickname of Marcus Thomson, the youngest of the Thomson siblings, who was born in 1970. This wine was made in the traditional style, open fermented and aged in large oak. It shows dark fruit and spices, with long lean tannins that will reward those who are patient.
Released in our 150th year, this wine celebrates Best’s history. The Concongella is a replica of the original red styles made in Great Western with the resultant wine greater than its varietal components. We took fruit from our original 1868 plantings of Pinot Meunier, Shiraz and Dolcetto, which were co-fermented and macerated over several weeks during the 2013 vintage, before being basket pressed and matured in oak. The use of a cork with a wax seal forms a part of the style and its evolution.
The Thomson Family Shiraz is produced from Henry Best’s original 1868 Shiraz plantings, and is only produced in exceptional years. The vines crop at less than two tonnes per acre (four tonnes per hectare). The first vintage was 1992, released in 1993 to celebrate 100 years of the Thomson family making wine in the area.
