This is a slice of great-value Barossa soul from the quiet achiever. Shawn Kalleske lives and breathes his vineyards and has almost 30 vintages under his belt at his Laughing Jack estate. His weathered hands tell the tale of each tour of duty, and his rare work ethic shows in the quality of his wines.
Laughing Jack’s GSM is drawn from the estate’s immaculately grown Moppa Hill and Greenock vineyards. Planted in 1962, the Moppa Hill site has ancient sandy soils with old vines deeply anchored in the reddish-orange clays far beneath. The Greenock property has deep red soils. Both sites are own-rooted, low-yielding and managed sustainably using organic principles.
The 2022 blend chimes in at 66% Grenache, 24% Shiraz and 10% dry-grown Moppa Mourvèdre. The fruit is picked by hand, destemmed and ferments as whole berries in small open-top fermenters. The wine then matures in seasoned French oak puncheons for 18 months. There’s a heightened purity to Kalleske’s wine these days. The 2022 is bright and vibrant with pure fruit flavours, heady spice and seductive texture. Kalleske should probably be asking a little more for this wine.