Woodstock The Stocks Shiraz 2018 is the flagship wine of Woodstock, made from a tiny single vineyard of very old Shiraz vines in McLaren Vale. The vineyard comprises just 31 rows of low-yielding vines planted circa 1900 on a sandy north-facing slope of the Woodstock Estate. Powerful, structured and built for ageing, the 2018 earned 92 points from Ned Goodwin MW for Halliday Wine Companion, with a drinking window extending to 2033.
Why This Wine Matters
The Stocks sits at the top of the Woodstock range and represents the estate's most concentrated expression of McLaren Vale Shiraz. The vineyard is essentially dry grown, with yields deliberately kept low at approximately two bottles per vine. Its combination of old vines, single-vineyard provenance and long-term cellaring potential makes The Stocks one of Woodstock's defining wines.
Tasting Notes
The 2018 is a powerful, brooding expression of Shiraz, combining dark cherry, anise, clove and violet with prominent mocha, vanilla, espresso and bourbon-like oak characters. Despite its concentration and oak influence, the wine remains polished rather than harsh, with substantial fruit and structure brought together into a composed, age-worthy package.
Vineyard & Winemaking
The Stocks comes from 31 rows of low-yielding Shiraz vines planted circa 1900 on sandy soils at Woodstock Estate. The vineyard is essentially dry grown. Woodstock's established approach to The Stocks includes harvesting at night, cold soaking before fermentation, fermentation in small open fermenters and hand plunging, followed by maturation in selected French and American oak. Halliday's assessment of the 2018 specifically confirms a short open-topped fermentation and lengthy maturation in French and American oak.
Cellaring & Serving
Halliday Wine Companion gives the 2018 a Drink By recommendation of 2033. Woodstock describes The Stocks more broadly as a wine that rewards extended bottle ageing, with around 10 to 15 years regarded as a particularly rewarding period of development. Serve at approximately 16–18°C. Its concentration and structure make it well suited to slow-cooked beef, venison, roasted meats and mature cheeses.
Reviews
"Very old, low-yielding vines (circa 1900), all on sandy soils. Crushed and cold soaked for a couple of days. A short, open-topped fermentation is buttressed by oak, French and American, where the wine spends a lengthy period. A brooding, take-no-prisoners sort of expression that harks back to wines of yore. Mocha, vanilla, espresso and bourbon scents mask dark cherry, anise, clove and violet. At least at this nascent stage. Yet there is nothing harsh or edgy about this. The power, excess and underlying fruit fold into a well-polished package."
92 Points - Ned Goodwin MW, Halliday Wine Companion, 13 August 2021
