Langtons Selections Saltram No. 1 Shiraz Saltram’s first vintage was in 1862 and comprised 8,200 litres of Shiraz wine. Established by William Salter, it is one of the Barossa’s early producers. In 1876 Saltram won a medal at the Philadelphia International Exhibition. In 1882, it made an arrangement with Thomas Hardy and Sons to market Saltram wines in the UK. In 1891 the winery purchased a hydraulic press and a four horsepower steam engine. A cooling system was also employed where cold water was pumped through copper pipes to cool down fermentation. The winery fell out of family hands in 1941 when it became a subsidiary of H.M Martin of Stonyfell. Saltram has only had 8 winemakers, including the great Peter Lehmann. Saltram has had its fair share of takeovers. It is famous for the Metala Shiraz Cabernet, released under the Stonyfell name and then Saltram. It was one of the most popular dry reds of the 1960s and at one stage ‘pound for pound’ a real competitor to Penfolds Grange. However the Saltram and Stonyfell connection was confusing and the vision for the future blurred by poor marketing. The Saltram Mamrebrook is a popular commercial brand. Saltram No. I Shiraz is a top notch Barossa Shiraz and fills a gap in the premium market at its price point. It’s more than half-decent and worth seeking out. The Eighth maker Shiraz is an ultra plush Barossa Shiraz made by eighth winemaker Nigel Dolan, whose father Brian was also winemaker and manager during the 1950s and 1960s. This is an attempt to make something different and expensive. The 2002 vintage won the Jimmy Watson Trophy – which kind of says it all. Nigel Dolan has since shifted camps and moved up to the Hunter Valley at Wyndham Estate. Andrew Caillard MW, Langtons