Rusden Sandscrub Shiraz 2012 from Vine Vale in the Barossa is a powerful, old–vine single–block Shiraz, built as a long–term cellar wine and presented in its own handmade wooden box. It comes off deep Barossa sand and reflects the Rusden family’s decision to rejuvenate their old Shiraz vines rather than rip them out.

The 2012 Sandscrub shows an intriguing, layered nose of dense dark fruits, charcuterie, spice and cocoa, echoing the estate note of “dense dark fruits, charcuterie, spice & cocoa” for this vintage. On the palate it is soft in texture yet very rich, packed with plum, boysenberry, allspice and charred oak, with serious structure and concentration designed for decades in the cellar.

At this age it sits firmly in full–bodied territory, best suited to hearty dishes like slow–roast lamb shoulder, beef short ribs, osso buco or rich game stews that can match its power, tannin and savoury complexity. Decanting well ahead of serving is recommended to let those dark fruits, meatiness and spice unfurl, and bottles stored well should still have many years of graceful development ahead.