Johannes Hugo Bernard Ben Schild relocated his family, including a young Ed Schild, to Rowland Flat in the Barossa, establishing his vineyard circa 1952 after many years of grain farming in the Mallee. Following Ben's passing in 1956, fifteen year old Ed took over the reins of the family farm to continue the work started by his father. A careful sorting of the best grapes, picked off a single low yielding parcel planted by Ben Schild in the hills overlooking Lyndoch, provides the backbone of fruit for Schild Reserve, a stately Barossa Shiraz in true blockbuster styling.
A commemorative wine dedicated to the estate's patriarch and his foresight in founding the Schild wineworks. Harvested throughout the chill of early morning, grapes are crushed and given a thorough maceration for the optimal extraction of colour and tannins. Parcels are transferred to small open fermenters, inoculated and treated to a regimen of regular pumpovers, completing vinification to complete dryness at a relatively high alcohol content. Upon completion of a further course of maceration on skins, components are filled to a selection of seasoned and new, French, American and Hungarian oak barrels for two years, followed by an extended term of bottle age under the Schild cellars before release.
Deep ruby red. An intense creamy perfume of lifted violets and blue fruit, blueberry crumble and dark plums, hints of restrained black pepper spice. These all lead to a fine soft tannin framework, a palate of lifted, perfumed fruit over hints of well integrated oak, followed by a lengthy persistent, sweet tannin finish. A profound experience even in it's youth, displaying superb structure and finesse, an expression of the place whence it originates.
