Delicate Wines by Rugged Aussies!

Dan Standish is a winemaker superstar in The Barossa, I called him on the pay phone and he quickly set up an appointment with his partner, Fraser McKinley at the winery that produces Massena and Standish Wine Co. wines.

Fraser, a burly Aussie in a red tank top, greeted us with a friendly smile and a line of fine wines inside their stone house winery.  Standish makes a wine called "The Relic," and we tried the 2007, it had that classic Barossa syrah feel but with a more delicate nature.  I felt like this was a wine that will show perfectly in the 2011 season as it hadn't quite developed fully.

Armed with a paint-bucket spitoon, Fraser enlightened us about the region, making recommendations about where we should go next: Rockford(purchased their 20 yr tawny!), Torbreck & Henske (in Eden Valley, just to the East).  We finished early so Fraser could head off and not miss the Melbourne Cup!