In 1934 Oscar Semmler purchased a vineyard and grazing property across the road from where he and his brothers grew up, at the southern end of Lyndoch in the Barossa, alongside the
St. Jakobi Lutheran church and school. From a mere thirty two rows of vine, planted on five acres in 1975 by Oscar's son Ken Semmler, the site is blessed by a harvest of the most outstanding quality fruit every year. St Jakobi Shiraz makes a wine that's rich in spice, dark cherry and chocolate characters, offering great tannin structure for longevity in the bottle.
It is at the St Jakobi Church that the winemaker, his parents, their parents and grandparents have all been married. The vineyard is harvested over several days. Each parcel must be picked at a time that's just right, to a timetable across the flavour ripening spectrum, resulting in more complexity than if all the fruit were harvested on the same day. Parcels are separately inoculated and treated to ten days in traditional open top fermenters, components are then matured in a combination of French and American oak hogsheads, supplied by nine different coopers. After twenty months, the better barrels are combined to create a final wine of complexity that expresses the full potential of fruit from a superior site. Alcohol 14.6%
TASTING NOTESA deep red colour. Aromas of raspberry and red licorice, bouquets of anise and poppy seed, plum and soy, biscuit and fig. Characters of fruit compotes, white pepper, festive cake and mint. A splendid single vineyard Barossa Shiraz with mouth filling flavours, well integrated oak and tender tannins, to decant and to savour.