Elderton Helbig 1915 Shiraz 2020

If you’ve ever met Cam and Al Ashmead, you’ll know what I mean by ‘dry humor.’ They’re so dry, in fact, that I find myself a) chuckling frequently, and b) looking at their faces for signs that they’re actually joking. So, when this very (very) big/heavy bottle of 2020 Helbig 1915 Shiraz turned up, with ‘Helbig’ on the label, I wondered if they were being facetious. Of course, Helbig is actually the name of the family who planted this vineyard in 1915. The bottle remains extremely heavy. So, no joking at all this time. The wine itself is the product of a combined effort between low-yielding old vines and a low-yielding, warm, dry vintage. The wine is concentrated, compressed and compacted and will need years to open up and unfurl. For now, the resiny/black olive tannins close around the fruit and shut it down. This is a wine for the long haul, not for now. The Ashmeads bought this vineyard in 2020. Drink date: 2025-2037. Score – 96. (Erin Larkin, robertparker.com, Sept. 15, 2022)