Yalumba The Octavius Old Vine Barossa Shiraz 750ml

The Octavius is Yalumba's flagship Shiraz and it takes its name from its barrels. An octave is a cask an eighth the size of a standard barrel, handcrafted on site at Yalumba's own cooperage, and the small format gives the wine unusually intense contact with oak. Maturation is in a mix of new and older barriques, hogsheads and octaves.

Fruit comes from Barossa vineyards including plantings that trace back to 1854, among the oldest Shiraz vines anywhere in the world. Yalumba draws on several sites to combine the freshness of Eden Valley with the depth of Barossa Valley.

The style is deep red with purple hues, alluring on the nose with dark red cherries, red liquorice and raspberry, and generous, cool and rich on the palate. Yalumba notes it will continue improving in bottle for fifteen years or more. Open it for a milestone dinner with slow-roasted lamb, and give it a long decant. Only thirteen bottles remain.