28/10/2025
đ· Question: Does an old vine make the best red wines, especially in regards to Shiraz?
đ· Answer: Old vines are often celebrated because, as they age, they naturally produce fewer bunches of grapes.
The yield drops, and the berries themselves can be smaller.
This means the vine is putting its energy into less fruit, which often leads to greater concentration of flavour, colour, and tannin structure in the resulting wine.
In Shiraz, that can translate to wines that feel denser, darker, and more layered â the kind of bottles that are memorable from the very first glass.
But itâs important to remember, old doesnât automatically mean better. A healthy young vine in an outstanding vineyard site can make thrilling wine too.
Soil, climate, season, and winemaking all still play critical roles.
What is unique with old vines is the sense of history and resilience they bring.
Some vineyards have weathered droughts, floods, frosts, and decades of changing fashions.
When those venerable vines survive and produce fruit, itâs cause for real celebration.
Winemakers often talk about the joy and reverence of walking through an old block at harvest time, knowing they are custodians of something rare.
Each vintage feels like a gift.
So while âold vine Shirazâ isnât an automatic guarantee of better, it often signals a wine with depth, character, and a story in the glass. The kind of wine worth raising a toast to.
