Wines By Bests

Excellent Langtons Classification. One of the nation's most enduring wines, vinified from hand picked and sorted grapes grown to the four original Shiraz plantings on the historic, low yielding Great Western blocks.

$6499each

$777DOZEN

EACH

DOZEN

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 14.6%


Dense purple extending right to the edge of the glass. Nice pepper and spice, great blue fruits, very lifted and attractive. Subtle spice and anise, a textural palate displaying layers of complexity. Clean, fresh and lively, blueberry awash with spice and integrated oak notes. Fine tannin and acid support.

Currently out of stock

Bests Great Western Bin 0 Shiraz 2009

Grampians, Great Western & Concongella

Excellent Langtons Classification. Bin 0 Shiraz is produced from the four original Shiraz plantings on the low yielding blocks of the historic Concongella Vineyard at Great Western. This includes nineteenth century and mid twentieth century plantings of Shiraz which yield meagre harvests of the most amazing quality grapes.

$5999each

$717DOZEN

EACH

DOZEN

The Concongella property takes its name from a picturesque creek which 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. The vineyard now contains rows of old and new plantings. 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 14.5%


Deep, dark, rich purple/ black. Dense blue fruits, spice and background floral aromas. Palate shows deep, concentrated blue fruits, great mid palate weight and long lingering impression. Texture and structure with fine oak and tannins playing a supporting role. Perfectly balanced, it finishes with supple, silky tannins.

Bests Great Western Bin 0 Shiraz 2010

Grampians, Great Western & Concongella

Excellent 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 yield meagre harvests of the most amazing quality grapes.

$5999each

$717DOZEN

EACH

DOZEN

Deeply tinted ruby garnet with magenta hue. Rich opulent aromas of dark ripe fruits lifted by peppery bush spice, wildflowers and delicately toasted French oak. Intense velvety dark fruit palate restrained by fine crumbly tannins. The balance of perfumed fruit, tight grained oak and minerality lingers in the mouth. An opulent rendition of Bin 0 which drinks brilliantly on release as it continues to evolve extraordinary complexity and integration. Great with venison, game or 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 wines.

Currently out of stock

Bests Great Western Bin 1 Shiraz 2011

Great Western

Given the scarcity of Best's prestige, limited release, old vineyard icons, 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 wine, floral and spicy, peppery and elegant, retaining vital Great Western fruit character.

$2199each

$261DOZEN

EACH

DOZEN

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 th great regional flagship, Bin 1 represents the essence of Best's and the uniqueness of Great Western. The finished wine exhibits al the attractions of structured Victorian Shiraz, perfumed, subtley oaked and gently spiced. Alcohol 14.0%

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 ready to drink Shiraz in the established Great Westen style, elegant and approachable. Bin 1 is a great accompaniment to food, the celebration of a century's history at Best's Great Western.

Bests Great Western Riesling 2012

Great Western

A real insider's wine, Best's make the most flavoursome, elegantly structured and spectacular Rieslings which stand confidently alongside their more famous cousins. The Great Western region lends itself very well to growing exceptional quality fruit, diurnal weather patterns work well for the varietal, allowing grapes to ripen naturally, yielding luscious lemon and lime blossom flavours with great acid balance. Some of the original plantings can be traced back to German vineyards, there is great history and pedigree in the root stock of Great Western Riesling.

$2199each

$261DOZEN

EACH

DOZEN

Riesling vines were first planted as part of Henry Best's Nursery Block vineyard in the 1860s. Then from subsequent plantings in 1944 and 1978, Riesling has become a significant part of the estate's regime. Grapes are harvested off vines planted to the sandy loam soils of Concongella Creek and Rhymney Vineyard, occasionally parcels are included from distinguished local sites. Fruit is minimally handled to express the power and finesse of parched, high country Great Western Riesling. The must is coolly tank fermented to allow the pristine fruit speak for itself, followed by a prompt bottling very soon after vinification, preserving the vital regional characters.

Pristine appearance, bright green hues. Fresh flowers along with lime and citrus notes. A flavoursome front palate displaying great varietal intensity, floral and zesty with great aromatics. Minerality, balance and texture are working together harmoniously to produce a wine with great tension. It's steely lime citrus qualities are supported by gentle acids and powdery talc notes. Drinking magnificently on release with the added ability to evolve further complexity and aged Riesling characters.

Currently out of stock

Bests Sparkling Shiraz 2009

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 virtues of universal drinking appeal, good structure and fine texture. Australia can lay claim to this style as its own, completely unique, it has become Great Western's most profound contribution to the world of wine.

$2499each

$297DOZEN

EACH

DOZEN

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 14.5%


Brick red to dark red with crimson hues. Great cool climate perfume, spicy fruit and lifted floral aromas. Red fruits and spice on the palate, a well integrated medium bodied Shiraz, balance and texture are the endearing qualities of this essential Aussie style. Ready to drink now, with consomme or rich meats, desserts and cheese.

Bests Thomson Family Shiraz 2008

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.

$14999each

$1797DOZEN

EACH

DOZEN

This very special planting of Shiraz is referred to by the CSIRO as Concongella clone, the mother of all subsequent Shiraz stock at Best's Great Western. The property takes its name from a picturesque creek which 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 vinified in small open fermenters, produced only in years when the quality is second to none. Alcohol 14.0%


Deep, dark purple. Ripe and generous fruit on the nose, aromas of deep dark berries, lifted spice, coiled and complex. Very intense rich front to mid palate, lush and plush, plenty of generous texture, supporting acid and tannins arrive late, long and detailed finish. Long, powerful, unsurpassably fine, elegant.

Bests Thomson Family Shiraz 2010

Concongella

$13999each

$1677DOZEN

EACH

DOZEN

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 which 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 vinified in small open fermenters, produced only in years when the quality is second to none. Alcohol 14.0%

Inky garnet with vermillion hue. Slightly closed then gradually opening to reveal a heady mixture of black fruits, bitter chocolate, dried flowers, white pepper and innumerable secondary aromas including leather, liquorice and tobacco. Ultra rich tightly structured liquored fruits. The seductive fruit, tannin, acid mix persists longingly in the mouth. It would be the perfect accompaniment to a winter meal of seared venison by a log fire.

Currently out of stock

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.

$1299each

$153DOZEN

EACH

DOZEN

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.

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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