Wines by Bests

Distinguished Langtons Classification. Shiraz has been produced at Best’s Great Western since the late 1800s, although an actual date of the inaugural Bin 0 has been lost in the annals of time. Top of the league from start to finish, what is certain is that Bin 0 is generally produced from Best’s oldest plantings, selected from the lowest yielding blocks of the historic Concongella vineyard at Great Western. This includes nineteenth century and mid twentieth century plantings of Shiraz which produce very small amounts of intensely flavoured fruit

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No grape is used unless it is in peak condition, no parcel of wine is considered unless it lives up to the most exacting standard. Only select vines that have made the grade are considered. In a declassified year some Thomson Reserve fruit (from some of the oldest Shiraz plantings in Victoria) can be included. Unique factors of soil and climate make a contribution. Cold to very cold winters, frequently dry and cool summers, with occasional bursts of hot weather are the norm. Fruit is hand selected, sorted and vinified by small batches in open fermenters, followed by rigorous barrel selection. Matured in a selection of new and used French and American oak barriques and puncheons for twelve months. Alcohol 13.7%

Deep, dense, dark red colour. Lifted high notes of aromatic Shiraz fruit, rich chocolate, smoked meats and pungent forest floor, an abundance of blackberry, mulberry and pepper. Subtle spice and aniseed palate, a textural palate displaying layers of complexity, supporting tannins and generous fruit, a touch of acid keeps the wine vital. Perfectly balanced, it finishes with supple, silky tannins. Great with aged blue cheese, eminently suited to venison, game and lamb. One of the most enduring characteristics is the longevity. Bin 0 is made to be an age worthy style and has been the undisputed icon of the Great Western style for many decades. It is internationally acclaimed as one of Australia’s great Shiraz wines

Bests Great Western Bin 1 Shiraz 2008

Great Western

94 Points James Halliday Wine Companion 2011

Given the scarcity of Best’s prestige, limited release, old vineyard wines, Bin 1 gives people their first taste of the Great Western Shiraz style and leaves them eager to discover more. A classic, cool climate, aromatic Shiraz, floral and spicy, peppery and elegant, retaining vital fruit characteristics. "A lovely, elegant, effortlessly balanced and beguilingly drinkable young shiraz. Perfumed, with traces of mint, berries, spice and violets. It's very intense without being heavy or overbearing. Light on its feet, well structured to drink or cellar!" -Sydney Morning Herald

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Unique factors of soil and climate in the Great Western area contribute to Best's success. The land along the Concongella creek is flat with powdery loam overlaying a deep clay sub-soil while newer plantings are sited on frost free hills. A long, slow ripening period and continental climate are characteristics of Great Western. The vineyards are in superb condition, producing fruit of remarkable quality and concentration. Meticulously crafted with the same attention to detail as the flagship editions, Bin 1 represents the essence of Best’s and the uniqueness of the Great Western region. The finished wine exhibits al the attractions of classic, well structured Victorian Shiraz, balanced, elegant and approachable. Alcohol 14.5%

Rich, inky red with purple hues. Vibrant lifted aromatics displaying fresh red berries and purple fruit, with classic cool climate pepper and spice over delicate floral characters. A rich and juicy wine with layers of generous flavour and complexity. Luscious, up front characters of freshly picked red cherry and raspberry melds into more developed plum, blackberry, pepper and spice. The palate is long and mouthfilling with great mid palate generosity, rolling tannins and wonderfully integrated oak. A classic Great Western cool climate, ready to drink shiraz. Made in an elegant, approachable style, Bin 1 is a great accompaniment to food, the celebration of a century's history at Best’s Great Western

Bests Sparkling Shiraz 2007

Great Western

Sparkling Shiraz has been re introduced to the Best’s line up after almost forty years. Great Western is renowned for Sparkling Shiraz (previously labelled as Burgundy) and has produced these terrific wines since the early 1900s. Today’s market is rediscovering the virtues of effervescent Shiraz wines which can demonstrate the classic virtues of universal drinking appeal, good structure and fine texture. Australia can lay claim to this wine style as its own, completely unique, it has become Great Western's most profound contribution to the world of wine

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Sparkling Shiraz is synonymous with Great Western, and contemporary tastes have presented a great opportunity for Great Western to refine the style. The winemaking team discovered that certain blocks yielded fruit which would lend themselves exceptionally well to sparkling Shiraz, forming a wine that spoke of place and was characteristic of Great Western. Grapes are picked early, inoculated and vinified in traditional fermenting vats, without receiving any oak treatment whatsoeverl, achieving a wine with medium body which retains freshness and intensity even as it ages. The goal is to ensure that the finished wine defines Great Western, retains good balance, elegance and refinement. Alcohol 13.5%

Brick to dark red colour with crimson hues. Great cool climate perfume, spicy fruit and lifted floral aromas. A palate of red fruits and spice in a totally integrated, medium body Shiraz. Balance and texture are the endearing characters of this great wine, ready to drink now, with consomme or rich meats, desserts and cheese. "Exotic spice, plum and anise aromas with violet crumble, cocoa and tar. The richness of fruit is set against a backdrop of gritty tannins and quenching acids. A palate of pastille, bitter chocolate and winegum in a rich and vibrant red fizz that makes the most gallant aperitif. Indulge fully, only slightly chilled, be advised that it courts beautifully with well prepared game pie!" -QueSyrahSyrah.net

Bests Thomson Family Shiraz 2006

Concongella

97 Points James Halliday Wine Companion 2011

Outstanding Langton’s Classification. Thomson Family Shiraz is produced from Henry Best’s original 1866 plantings, only ever made in exceptional years, on average about six times a decade. The vines are cropped at less than two tonnes per acre and are meticulously hand harvested, selected and sorted. Thomson Family Shiraz was first made in 1993, one hundred years after the Thomson family settled in the area. It is produced predominantly from the fifteen rows of vines planted by Henry Best, recorded as Hermitage by Henry in his daily journal

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This very special planting of Shiraz is referred to by the CSIRO as the Concongella clone, the mother of all subsequent Shiraz stock at Best’s Great Western. The property (established 1866) takes its name from the picturesque creek that runs beside the vineyard. Climatically cold to very cold winters and frequently dry and cool summers, with occasional bursts of hot weather, are the norm. A little stress concentrates grape flavour, at Concongella it happens naturally. Despite these natural adversities, Concongella consistently produces high quality grapes of intense flavour. Hand harvested, hand plunged and fermented in small open fermenters, produced only in years when the quality is second to none. Alcohol 14.0%

Deep, dense, dark red colour. Ripe and generous fruit on the nose, aromas of deep dark berries. Amazingly rich, dense and detailed layers of complexity with dark cherry and plum flavours. Medium bodied intensity with plenty of generous palate texture. A long and powerful finish with fine grain tannins, unsurpassably fine with a savoury elegance. "A rich, generous wine with brilliant blackberry meaty fruit underpinned by cedar oak and gravelly tannins!" -Langtons.com.au, "Superb crimson hue; fragrant bouquet with spice, pepper and black cherry fruit, then a glorious silken, supple palate, with red and black cherry and plum foremost, the tannin and oak contribution perfectly judged!" -Wine Companion.com.au

Bests Victorian Shiraz 2008

Grampians Great Western

There’s good, there’s better and there’s Bests. The first Shiraz vines at the estate's St Andrew’s vineyard were planted in 1930. The cuttings were sourced from the original 1860s plantings of Concongella Shiraz. Today these vines are still robust, producing intense spicy berries. A backbone of fruit from St Andrews is assembled with a component of good Shiraz grapes from the younger Salvation Hills site in the Grampians. "Develops as it breathes into a mouthful of blackberry flavours, accented by gritty acids, cardamon, espresso and turkish delight!" -Winemonthly.com.au

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St. Andrews provides a combination of warm temperatures with tough limestone soils. The alchemy of terrain and warm, dry climate produces smooth, fresh, soft wines with heightened flavour profiles. The Salvation Hills site is blessed with a low risk from frost and yields the most intensely flavoured berries with ripe, healthy tannins. Following harvest and the crush, fruit is cold macerated for five days prior to a reasonably warm four day fermentation. The grapes are then pressed off into insulated tanks for secondary malolactic fermentation. Upon completion the wine is racked into barrel for maturation. Matured in a combination of American oak puncheons and French oak barriques. Alcohol 14.5%

Deep red with purple hues. Fresh raspberry and red fruit aromas with hints of picked herbs and spice. Medium weight palate with lifted fresh raspberry, red fruit and spice, with hints of butcher shop meatiness, gun-smoke and flint. Firm tannins provide good balance. "Brooding aromas of plum and chocolate, coffee and light creamy oak, a garnish of pepper and spice, olive, bay leaf and dried, dusty herb!" -Winemonthly.com.au, "A sweet and savoury wine of grace and self awareness, it knows it's roots and speaks of soil and ruddy berries, windy aspects and parched, concentrated fruit. The essence of the Grampians, a down to earth, mouthfilling Shiraz wine with bucolic complexions and eloquent tannins!" -Winewrite.com.au

Three superior old vineyard sites - the secret behind Bests Wines

Best's Victorian enterprise comprises three sister vineyards: The Grand Matriarch and headquarters, Concongella at Great Western, St Andrew's at Lake Boga and the baby Salvation Hills at Rhymney Reef. Each vineyard produces distinctly different grape characteristics from vines aged from five to 135 years. Together they add fascinating facets, contrasts and diversity to Bests stable of wine. Twenty-one hectare Concongella, enjoys a cool temperate climate.

The newest, 22-hectare Salvation Hills also in the Great Western region is slightly cooler while the third, 28- hectare St. Andrews, lies 237 km further north near Lake Boga in the Swan Hill region and has a warm, temperate climate.


Bests Concongella Vineyard at Great Western was established in 1866. The 'Concongella' estate takes its name from the picturesque Concongella creek that lazily meanders beside the vineyard. Meanwhile the premier wine-growing region of Great Western ("one of the best in the country" notes wine writer Hugh Johnson) takes its name from the nearby old gold mining village of Great Western, some 240km west of the City of Melbourne. Unique factors of soil and climate contribute to Best's success. The land along the creek is flat with a powdery, limey loam overlaying a deep clay sub-soil while newer plantings are cited on a frost-free gravel hill. Climatically cold to very cold winters, and frequently dry and cool summers, with occasional bursts of hot weather, are the norm. Viv Thomson believes a little stress concentrates grape flavour, at Concongella it happens naturally. Despite these natural adversities, Concongella consistently produces high quality grapes of intense flavour. The vineyard is a blend of old and new plantings, Shiraz, Pinot Meunier, Dolcetto and Rhine Riesling being among the former and Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the latter.	Best's St Andrew's Vineyard at Lake Boga was established in 1930. The more stable and reliable weather conditions at St. Andrews complements the more rigorous and diverse climatic Concongella conditions. The limestone soils of St. Andrews, together with the warm, dry climate produce smooth, fresh soft wines with above average fruit flavours which Bests often enhance with touches of quality oak.
A pot-still was among the winery equipment when William Thomson purchased St. Andrews at Rhymney With the sale of St. Andrews in 1928, the pot-still was moved to Concongella and later to the new St. Andrews. Today, the original still adorns the wall of the St. Andrews tasting room, with a new pot-still now inuse. The production of grape fortifying spirit and fortified wines has played an important role in Thomson enterprises. However, with the decline of interest in fortified wines and the Governments increased excise on brandy, sales have decreased steadily since the 1970s. St. Andrews gives today's generations of Thomsons a strong hand, contrasting nicely with Concongella. The combination of a warm, temperate climate and tough limestone soils, produce grapes with good fruit flavours.

WARNING Under the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998 it is an offence to supply alcohol to a person under the age of 18 years. The penalty exceeds $6,000
It is an offence for a person under the age of 18 years to purchase or receive liquor. The penalty exceeds $500. Victoria Licence 31952713

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