Tahbilk 1860 Vines Shiraz 2016

How's this for a James Halliday scoreboard for the past 10 vintages?

96-96-96-97-96-99-98-97-97-97

It is almost certain there is no other single vineyard block in the world of shiraz with each and every vine planted 155 (or more) years ago remaining in continuous production by the same owner.

....As vines grow old, they become increasingly fragile. Their gnarled and twisted trunks look thick, but this is an illusion. The interior of the trunk slowly decomposes, leaving the bark and a thin support of wood to supply the vine with the nutrients to survive. Thus “plough disease” can kill a vine in 30 fateful seconds if a piece of agricultural machinery makes contact with the trunk. Soil degradation and insect attack are other challenges. The most deadly threat is phylloxera, and here is the greatest miracle of the 1860 Vines block: it is on a slight sandy rise, surrounded on all sides by phylloxera, which is intolerant of sand.

...The outlook is for a maximum of 250 dozen when the weather gods smile. There is no present intention to join the dizzy price heights of Grange or Hill of Grace, however justified it may seem....

"It is amazing how this unfurls in the glass. As if those old vines have a point to make - not so much look at me rather, I am all about grace. Everything is just so. The red and blue fruits, the dash of spices and the cedary oak that's tucked in well. It's medium-bodied yet there's length once the supple tannins finish gliding across the palate." 96pts -  Jeni Port - Wine Companion