2002 Kaesler Old Bastard Shiraz, South Australia, Barossa Valley, Bottle (750mL)

Robert Parker | 96 Points

"The flagship offering, the 2002 Shiraz Old Bastard was fashioned from a vineyard planted in 1896, and was cropped at one ton of fruit per acre. It spent 22 months in French oak before being bottled with neither fining nor filtration. A spectacular perfume of raspberries, plums, blackberries, espresso, vanilla, and charcoal is followed by a tannic Shiraz with a huge palate, massive concentration, tremendous richness, and a multidimensional flavor profile."

Kaesler’s Old Bastard is the estate’s flagship Shiraz, sourced from a tiny parcel of ancient Barossa vines planted in 1893, among the oldest surviving Shiraz vines in Australia. The name is a nod to the old vines themselves, which produce incredibly small yields of intensely concentrated fruit.

Despite the wine’s sheer power, Old Bastard is never just about size. Hand-picked fruit, open fermentation, basket pressing, and extended aging in French oak give the wine structure, detail, and remarkable depth.

The 2002 vintage layers blackberry, plum, charcoal, espresso, licorice, and spice into a full-throttle Barossa Shiraz that remains one of the benchmark expressions of old-vine Australian wine.