This year the flagship is sourced from Orange and matured in French and American oak. Cleaned up at the 2016 and 2017 Orange Wine Shows winning the Trophy for Best Red Wine of Show and Best Shiraz both years. See below for a fresh look after the first review almost a year apart.
Gartelmann, Diedrich, Shiraz, Orange, 2015
1st take: 06/03/2018 Deep garnet in colour. Serious aromas of leather, plum, deep roses and chary toasty oak. Layers and layers of balanced plums and blackberry fruit doused in dark spices and supported by imposing but deftly handled oak. Finishing juicy and dark with a sublime earthy tannin structure. Cellaring this for many years will not be problem at all. A wonderful release.
2nd take 01/05/2019: Deep plum and exquisite dark Belgian choc oak moments, albeit little more integrated. Still fresh with leather and wonderfully juicy dark fruit underpinned with an earthy swathe. Rating remains high.
RRP: $50
Alc: 14.6%
Rating: 18/20
Wine sample courtesy of Gartelmann Wines and Define Wine