Seppelt St Peters Shiraz Vertical Tasting 26 April 2023

[Waiters Friend]

G’day
This extract is taken from the Seppelt Great Western website:

Released in small quantities and only in exceptional years, St Peter’s is Seppelt’s flagship shiraz, testimony to the distinctive style and pedigree of Grampians Shiraz. The lineage of this iconic wine dates back to 1964, when ‘great western hermitage’, as it was then known, was first made. Since 1998 this wine has been called St Peter’s in honour of the first vineyard planted in the region.

Today St Peter’s is sourced from the finest and most intense fruit from the best blocks of the Great Western Vineyard. In vintage 2019, This included select parcels of fruit from the bass and Arrawatta blocks and is a powerful, seductive expression of shiraz from the Great Western region. With the extraordinary cellaring potential of 50 years or more, this wine is classified ‘Outstanding’ by Langton’s in its classification of Australian Wine VI

My first experience with this wine was at a tasting in 2016 with the theme “Langton classification from a vintage ending in 6”. Known as Seppelt Great Western Shiraz then, the 1996 was my wine of the night, up against a host of highly regarded Langton-classified wines. I’ve been a collector since that time, and have managed to acquire a number of back vintages as well as the new releases.

Eleven of us got together on a damp autumn evening to sample 13 vintages spanning 20 years. However, we started with a glass each of the 2013 Seppelt Original Sparkling Shiraz, which is showing well at 10 years of age. There’s still plenty of bead / mousse, and fresh plummy fruit flavours over some mocha and a hint of leather. This bodes well for the older vintages of this in my cellar.

The wines were tasted from youngest to oldest, in groups of three or four. The notes are a compilation of the group’s comments, and are not solely my own. There was a mix of industry professionals and passionate amateurs. Wines were not decanted prior to service, and there was some evolution in the glass noted.

The St Peters we tasted ranged from the current release 2020 vintage back to 2001. Not all vintages were shown. All were sourced from my cellar. All but the 2001 were under screwcap, and the cork on the 2001 came out in one piece (with some care). The wines range around 14% alcohol, give or take a little.

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Seppelt St Peters Shiraz 2020: From a hot year. Purple / crimson in colour. The nose showed a little eucalypt on pour, and was followed by spicy plums, cedary oak, charcuterie, vanilla, and dried herbs (thyme, oregano). Very ripe and concentrated fruits on the palate (one taster wondered whether a little Ripasso had been applied), including plums and Wild Berry lollies. Tannins are fine and silky, there’s some glycerol providing mouthfeel, and the wine finishes reasonably long, and slightly hot.

Seppelt St Peters Shiraz 2019: Similar colour to 2020 – in fact, every wine to 2013 was similar in hue, with very modest variation The nose was a little more restrained and perfumed than the 2020, showing plums, tar, red and blue fruits (mulberry) and some dried herbs. There’s lots of dark fruit (plums, blueberries) on the palate, alongside vanilla, cinnamon and Redskin lollies. Tannins are fine and velvety, and the finish is moderately long.

Seppelt St Peters Shiraz 2018: Dark stewed plums on the nose. With bergamot, pencil shavings, cloves, sour cherry, choc/orange and brambles. The palate is expressive and dense, with lots of plummy fruit, strong supporting acid and layered tannins. This seems a bigger wine than the previous wines, with a long persistent finish, and was well regarded by the group.

Seppelt St Peters Shiraz 2017: Stewed red plums (not dark plums) on the nose, with raspberries, redcurrants, brambles and jubey wine gums. There’s smoky, meaty characters as well. More wine gums on the palate with succulent fruit, and grippy tannins. There’s a touch of alcohol heat, and the wine seems a little simple compared to the surrounding wines.

Seppelt St Peters Shiraz 2016: A quite full and complex nose with meaty, bacon fat aromas, tar, vanilla, cedar, Christmas cake, dark chocolate and black pepper. The palate is mouth-filling, with dark fruits, velvety grippy tannins, glycerol and good supporting acid. A long finish, and comments were made about this being a ‘complete’ and balanced wine – the best so far of the tasting.

Seppelt St Peters Shiraz 2014: Cherry Ripe, mocha, menthol, stewed dark fruits, plums and Damsons on the nose. The palate offers fine, layered tannins, a touch of leather, prominent freshening acid, leading to a soft, plush finish. Tasters commented that this wine was more restrained and elegant, and well balanced.

Seppelt St Peters Shiraz 2013: Spices, including cloves and cinnamon, on the nose, along with plum pudding, and black pepper. The palate is bigger, with ripe red fruits, chocolate, grippy velvety tannins, and that glycerol mouthfeel again. The wine finishes long and is just starting to show signs of development. Highly regarded by the group.

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Seppelt St Peters Shiraz 2010: We started to see some change in the wine colour from here (although subtle) – this is tinging towards red and garnet. A fuller wine, this has choc/mocha, rich dark plums, cloves, herbs, cedar and briar on the nose. A rich palate shows more chocolate, Christmas pudding, and that glycerol again. That, with the grippy tannins and a touch of alcohol heat, provides a lovely mouthfeel, and leading to a long finish. Fully integrated and very week balanced.

Seppelt St Peters Shiraz 2008: Ruby / burgundy in colour. This wine is evidence that not only the big wines get the nod. Still quite primary fruit on the nose, sweet blackberries and blueberries, with brambles and cedar. Bright red fruits, more blueberries, a touch of leather, and mocha on the palate, with fine tannins, and good supporting acid. Excellent length. It’s showing development, but has a good core of stewed fruits, and was elegant, balanced and youthful. Maybe this will be a 50 year wine? Highly regarded by the group.

Seppelt St Peters Shiraz 2007: Ruby red in colour. Redcurrants, raspberry, blackberry jam, and blueberry fruits, all showing signs of development on the nose. There’s also some cedary oak and mocha, dried herbs, tar and meats. The red fruits follow through the palate, and is accompanied by five spice, baking spices, cinnamon and smoked tea. Persistent acid and fine but grippy tannins lead to a medium finish. Despite the multitude of flavours, its not as balanced as the previous wines, and the finish is drying a little. This will plateau for some years yet, but possibly won’t improve further.

Seppelt St Peters Shiraz 2006: Red with garnet tinges. A bigger nose, with chocolate, cedar, dried herbs, tar, meats, stewed plum and blue fruits, cinnamon, and a smoky character. There’s developed rich black and blue fruits on the palate, with some glycerol, supporting acid and fully integrated tannins. It’s still medium bodied, but a long finish and in balance.

Seppelt St Peters Shiraz 2005: Garnet with some brick red at the rim. A big spicy nose, with red fruits, stewed plums, and lots of dried herbs. Gentle red fruits on the palate, supporting acid and glycerol, and slippery tannins. This is developed and the first (and only) wine the group commented was fully mature, and it shows signs of drying out a little.

Seppelt St Peters Shiraz 2001: Darker than the previous two wines, albeit with some bricking at the rim. The nose showed dark fruits, tar, leather, meats, blackcurrant / cassis, Kirsch and spices. There’s some leather and glycerols on the palate, with developed blue fruits, cola and sarsaparilla. Tannins are soft and integrated, and gentle supporting acid. This has an intensity that belies its age, and may still develop further. Highly regarded by the group.

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At the end of the tasting, I wondered what it would have been like to start with the 2013, and then go back 20 years (that might have included the 1996 which started my interest). It’s apparent that the younger wines were opened way too young, and that the older wines in some cases were just getting warmed up. (A shame I don’t / didn’t have any vintages pre-2001). I doubt I will have the opportunity to put Seppelt’s claim of a 50 year lifespan to the test, although its possible one or two of the older wines we tried might get there.

The wine of the tasting was the Seppelt St Peters Shiraz 2008, by a reasonable margin from the 2013 and 2001. The group considered that the drinking window for St Peters is between 12 and 18 years from vintage. I’m not convinced, however – I reckon the window extends well into 20 years and I’m now going to be on the lookout for vintages 2010 and older (I’m well stocked on the vintages from 2013 forward) as a result.

Cheers
Allan

[phillisc]

Great tasting Allan, one of my favourites and thanks for sharing. I am very reluctant to buy any 2020 St Peters, I think its a potentially lesser vintage when compared to 2018/19, 2021/22.
I am fortunate that I have 96-99, 01/02 then 2012-19. I really like Sepplets and GW in particular. They have had some good winemakers and this wine plus Benno and Mt Ida are really solid. I have just purchased a few more 2018s for $40, great VFM.
I agree will be trying to address the 2003-2010 gap, think there was lots of school fees to pay for and other stuff.
The 99 I had last year was a WOTY contender...brilliant.
Cheers Craig

[cuttlefish]

Funnily enough, I was sipping on a freshly opened bottle of the 1999 St Peters when I read the OP last night. Great cork.
The wine is in great condition, showing maturity, but will last many more years, yet.
I have a patchy collection of St Peters remaining, from '02 onwards. A minimum of 20 years aging is necessary, in my opinion. They seem to drink fantastically well as a fully mature red.

[Con J]

Thanks for another great write up, sounds like a great night.

I love doing verticals, not many do for some reason.

The last St Peters I bought was the 2014 vintage, I think this was around the time the winery was getting sold. The last St Peters I opened was a 2001 and it was corked. I thought it was late last year but I checked some notes and it was in Jan 2021, how time fly’s.

I’ve still got.
St Peters 01, 02, 03, 04, 08, 10, 12, 13, 14.
GWS Reserve 97, 98.
GWS 91, 96, 97.

Cheers Con.

[mychurch]

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This is a great Riesling. Superb. Just entered its drinking window. I have had a few vintages of this now and this is the first that is open for business. Mid palate is full of creamy lemon curd, backed up by great acidity. I really like Victorian and for my palate it’s much better the South Australian and WA versions. Sepplt really are/were great winemakers

[mjs]

grb2001 will have umpteen St Peters vintages in his cellar, must hit him up for a tasting

[Rossco]

Thanks for another great write up, sounds like a great night.

I love doing verticals, not many do for some reason.

Cheers Con.

Your Penfolds and Wynns verticals are forever etched in my memory con. Truely spectacular.

Alas my only bottle of St Peters is a 2012 (which seems to be missing from this lineup). Looks like it's another 10+ years before I see how it goes .

Great write up Allan, thank you. Was a most enjoyable read and fascinating insight into the evolution.

I still believe their best wine is the show reserve sparkling. I haven't seen a new vintage in many a year, which is very sad.