Back Vintage Marius Wines To Celebrate The Final Vintage
Posted by Joe Perry on 26th Jun 2021
Across the past two decades The Oak Barrel has been privileged to stock – and thoroughly enjoyed – the wines from Marius winemaker Roger Pike. Having planted his McLaren Vale vines in 1995 and realising the fruit he was growing was of exceptional quality, Roger made a small amount of wine from his 2000 vintage.
“It wasn’t really a commercial venture,” Pike remembers, “the labels were designed by my six-year old daughter and printed on my $100 inkjet printer. I sent a few to wine critics and they seemed to love it as much as my friends!”
It’s fair to say that Marius has come a long way since then and the name is now one of the most respected in the region.
However, all good things must come to and end and Roger has announced that the upcoming release of the 2019 vintage will be his last with Marius.
With those releases just around the corner, we’ve decided to dig into one of The Oak Barrel’s personal cellars to share some exceptionally aged wines from the 2005 and 2006 vintages .
From The Oak Barrel’s Wine ‘Doc’ Paul Downie: “'Well Roger we’ll miss your wines on our shelves. Despite your popularity you managed to supply The Oak Barrel with a small allocation of your wines each year and we have always appreciated that. Roger you were always very likeable and easy to get along with. I’m not saying you will be gone and never seen again, but the final release of the 2019 wines this year, two decades of fine grape growing and wine production will be gone.
“I did indulge the other night and opened a bottle of the Symphony 2005
Shiraz. This bottle was still drinking superbly with ample primary fruit.
Quite luscious really with many years to go.”
We have a small number of bottles from the 2005 and 2006 vintages which we are offering for sale.
From the words of Campbell Mattinson, “This is for those wine lovers who like ’em styled big, coffeed, big-chested – and yet laced perfectly together. This is a peak example of the style.”
- Winefront July 2007
Please note these wines are currently stored in temperature controlled storage and will be arriving in-store ready for dispatch week commencing Monday 28 June.
Single vineyard 100% Shiraz from the Marius vineyard. Normally matured in older French and American hogsheads for 18 – 24 months. Simpatico is a savoury and very food friendly style of wine which is proving to cellar well and gain considerable complexity with a few years bottle age.
Roger’s flagship wine (100% Shiraz) utilising the best parcels of fruit from the Marius vineyard. The Symphony is matured in 100% French oak hogsheads for 18 – 24 months. A wine of great structure designed to cellar and improve for many years.
SYMPOSIUM SHIRAZ MOUVEDRE 2006
A blend of 50% Shiraz and 50% Mourvèdre with the rich Shiraz complementing the earthy, spicy characters of the Mourvèdre. Matured in older French and American oak for 18 – 23 months. This wine develops great complexity as the two varieties meld together with a few years in bottle.