Mount Langi Ghiran Billi Billi Creek Shiraz 1997
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Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Great Dividing Range in the Grampians region of Victoria, the Mount Langi Ghiran (Aboriginal for home of the yellow-tailed black cockatoo) vineyard is one of the most isolated and unique sites in Australian viticulture. The vineyard, with its towering granite cliffs and loamy red soils, encapsulates an extraordinary sense of place. Mount Langi Ghiran, or Langi, as it is fondly referred to, was originally planted in 1870 where is has become the home of one of Australia's finest cool climate wines, the Langi Shiraz.
Though Syrah originated in the Rhône Valley of France, Australia is home to the oldest Syrah (called Shiraz here) vines on the planet. Found in Australia’s Barossa Valley, where phylloxera has never threated viticulture, these ancient vines are between 140 to 175 years old!
Having brought fame and merit to the country’s wine scene since the early 1950s, namely via the debut of Penfolds Grange, today Syrah (Shiraz) claims rank as the most widely planted grape in Australia. In fact, the amount of land dedicated to Shiraz in Australia is now almost equivalent to what it is in France. Australian Shiraz has its own personality with flavors and aromas of intense blackberry, fruitcake, menthol, tobacco leaf and umami. Conveniently one can find great Australian Shiraz at a variety of price points but the very best will be dense, gloriously complex and capable of long aging.