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Laughing Jack

Outstanding Moppa and Greenock from a Historic Address

For 15 years, we’ve proudly represented the wines of Shawn Kalleske’s small historical family winery throughout Australia. The first thing to know about this winegrower is that he lives in the vineyard. Getting a hold of Shawn outside vineyard hours is nigh on impossible, perhaps because vineyard hours at this address are roughly the same as sunlight hours. Kalleske has completed over 20 vintages at the estate and not only do his gnarled, crevassed hands tell the tale of each tour of duty, but the quality of his wines is also a testament to his rare work ethic.

One imagines it helps when you have such an impressive office to work from. Laughing Jack’s enviable vineyard holdings were planted by his forebears and span three sub-regions—Moppa, Greenock and Marananga—with vines dating back to 1962. All sites are on the slopes, ensuring a cooler run through vintage for the Laughing Jack fruit, as compared to those on the hot and dry valley floor. The Laughing Jack website is an invaluable resource for those wishing to delve deeper into these special sites. 

Underpinned by a deep respect for traditional Barossa values, through a process of constant fine-tuning in the vineyards and cellar, Kalleske’s wines have become ever more refined and pure expressions of what are indisputably some of his region’s best-kept vineyards.

Looking back to the early days, Shawn readily concedes that in the Parker-era (like others in the Barossa at the time) the grapes were being picked on sugar ripeness. But, as Shawn told us recently, this “doesn’t come into it at all now”. Today the focus is placed squarely on picking grapes that are flavour-ripe, with great tannin and acid balance. Hard pruning keeps the already naturally low yields in check, and Kalleske has planted cover crops and manages weeds by cultivation without the use of chemicals.  

In the winery, méthode Barossa holds sway. The reds are all fermented in open-top fermenters, basket pressed and bottled without any fining or filtration. The use of wood these days is well-judged, with a mix of older and new French hogsheads and puncheons. 

Great sites, top-notch fruit and a most thoughtful and conscientious vigneron result in a range of authentic and characterful wines. The much-loved Jack’s Shiraz is the great value gateway to this producer. At the other end of the scale are the premium powerhouses of the range, the Limited Two and the Carl Albert Shiraz. These wines showcase not only the powerful and perfumed fruit, but Kalleske’s skilled winemaking hand, balance is key, and he strikes it time after time. There are riches in between, from a perfumed Old Vine Moppa Grenache to a textural, yet crisp Greenock Semillon. Those on the hunt for true Barossa soul need look no further.

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Laughing Jack Jack's Shiraz 2021

Laughing Jack Jack's Shiraz 2021

This perennial overachiever is sourced mainly from the Kalleske family’s Greenock, Moppa Hill and Marananga vineyards. This 2021 comprises 67% Greenock fruit, with 17% from Marananga and 16% Moppa. The combination of soils―red-brown earth over deep red clay in Greenock, clay and shale in Marananga and sand over clay and quartz with ironstone in Moppa―brings balance and a unique Laughing Jack expression. The fruit was 100% destemmed and transferred to various open-top fermenters (three, five and eight tonne). The wine was plunged by hand twice a day. The wine matured in oak barrels for 20 months―5% new French and 3% new American, with the balance seasoned French (55%) and American (37%). It's another excellent release from Shawn and his team; South Australian Shiraz in their hands is a thing of beauty. Dark-fruited and spicy with a full, smooth, generous palate and a long, flavoursome close. It offers far more than one should expect from this style and price—an easy decision if you’re looking for a good-value regional classic.

“Rock-solid value here in this shiraz sourced from across Greenock, Marananga and Moppa Hill. It's packed with deep blackberry and macerated plum fruit with underlying hints of licorice, earth, violets, fruit, vanillin oak and nut chocolate, fruitcake and earth. All that dark fruit is framed in toothsome, chocolatey tannins, and it's a wine that sings clearly of its western roots.”
91 points, Dave Brookes, The Wine Companion
Laughing Jack Jack's Shiraz 2021
Laughing Jack Jack's GSM 2021

Laughing Jack Jack's GSM 2021

A slice of great-value Barossa soul from the quiet achiever. The first thing to know about this winegrower is that he lives in the vineyard. Shawn Kalleske has completed his 25th vintage at the estate. His gnarled, crevassed 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 manicured 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 according to organic principles. The 2021 blend chimes in at 62% Grenache, 22% Shiraz and 16% dry-grown Moppa Mourvèdre. All components are handpicked, destemmed and fermented separately as whole berries, while the free-run juice and the skins from the press age separately. The blending takes place after 16 months in seasoned French puncheons. There’s a newfound purity to Kalleske’s wine these days, and the 2021 is vibrantly scented and full-throated yet balanced on the palate with a seductive texture and delicious spice-driven generosity. Kalleske should probably be asking a little more for this wine, but let’s keep that to ourselves for now. It will make many drinkers happy on many levels.

Laughing Jack Jack's GSM 2021
Laughing Jack Greenock Shiraz 2019

Laughing Jack Greenock Shiraz 2019

The Kalleskes’ Greenock Shiraz was planted in 1999 on land that had been in the family for nearly 150 years but used only for crops and grazing sheep. Shawn Kalleske was convinced that Greenock's ironstone soils would be perfect for Shiraz, and from day one the family have been excited by the results. The 2019 was grown on a single parcel known as East Block, an own-rooted plot planted to a mix of clones including the original 1890 Greenock property Shiraz clone. The fruit was destemmed and the berries crushed before going to small 3-tonne open-top fermenters where it was hand plunged twice a day over 20 days. The wine then rested for 20 months in a mixture of new and seasoned French and American oak. It’s another class act from Shawn Kalleske, built for the cellar but approachable now with a decant and a great steak.

"Sourced from a single block of shiraz on the Kalleske estate in the western Barossa known as East Block, aged for 20 months in 40% new French oak, 40% seasoned French oak, 10% new American oak and 10% seasoned American oak hogsheads. A great example of classic Western Ridge latent power here. Dense blackberry, black cherry and plum characters build in intensity, gather both spice and pace before compressing and accelerating to the exit, framed by superfine tannin before coast slowly into the distance. Lovely stuff."
95 points, Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion Magazine
Laughing Jack Greenock Shiraz 2019
Laughing Jack Jack's Semillon 2021

Laughing Jack Jack's Semillon 2021

Shawn Kalleske’s old-vine, wild fermented Semillon is sourced in equal measure from two sites: a Greenock vineyard planted in 1964; and the family’s Creek Block vineyard which was planted in 1994. The soils are red/brown earth over dark red clay with underlying bluestone and limestone. For the 2021, the fruit was destemmed and spent a short time on skins before whole-berry pressing and fermentation in stainless steel tanks. It was kept on lees for four weeks post-fermentation before being bottled unfined. Expect a wine of freshness, zip and boundless energy. Touches of green-apple-grip and citrus weight add texture, and there’s a moreish and salivating close.

Expect a wine of freshness, zip and boundless energy. Touches of green-apple-grip and citrus weight add texture, and there’s a moreish and salivating close.

“Barossa Semillon has been getting some extra attention from me over the last little while, and why not? It’s a good style of wine, and somewhat under-sung. This sees no oak, and is sourced from grapes grown in Greenock. Lime, green pear, lemon verbena and lemongrass. It’s crunchy, tight and energetic, a light chalky texture, a pleasant quinine-like bitterness, and a crisp long finish of excellent length. Excellent expression of Barossa Sem, which should develop very nicely with further bottle age. Has something of an Italianate feel too, which I really like.”
93 points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
“100% western Barossa semillon from the subregion of Greenock, fermented and kept in tank on lees for 4 weeks before bottling. Pale straw in the glass with aromas of crisp green apple, lemon and grapefruit with notes of fennel, marzipan, white flowers and stone. Some creamy notes on the palate finishing crisp and dry with impressive clarity and drive.”
91 points, Dave Brookes, WineCompanion.com.au
Laughing Jack Jack's Semillon 2021
Laughing Jack Moppa Hill Block 6 Shiraz 2020

Laughing Jack Moppa Hill Block 6 Shiraz 2020

This superb single-vineyard Shiraz is sourced from a six-acre plot replanted in 2001. Sadly, the original 1912 vineyard was ripped out in the mid-1980s thanks to the SA government’s now-notorious vine-pull scheme. Here in the Moppa sub-region, the grapes grow on sandier soils than in Greenock (a mere 2km away as the crow flies), producing more perfumed wines with finer tannins. This release is no exception.

“Shiraz (clone 1654) from a single vineyard in Moppa Hill in the northwestern Barossa Valley; matured in French oak (18% new) for 20 months. Calm and composed, this savoury-leaning shiraz shows deep, ripe blackberry and dark plum fruits on a bed of baking spices, dark chocolate, olive tapenade, licorice and earth. It sports a powdery tannin grip and a sense that all the individual components are on the same page, finishing with impressive sustain.”
95 points, Dave Brookes, The Wine Companion
Laughing Jack Moppa Hill Block 6 Shiraz 2020
Laughing Jack Jack's GSM 2022

Laughing Jack Jack's GSM 2022

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.

Laughing Jack Jack's GSM 2022
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“The Kalleske family has many branches in the Barossa Valley. Laughing Jack is owned by Shawn, Nathan, Ian and Carol Kalleske, and Linda Schroeter. The lion’s share of the vineyard is planted to shiraz, with lesser amounts of semillon and grenache. Vine age varies considerably, with old dry-grown shiraz the jewel in the crown. As any Australian knows, the kookaburra is also called the laughing jackass, and there is a resident flock of kookaburras in the stands of blue and red gums surrounding the vineyards.”  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ James Halliday’s Australian Wine Companion

Country

Australia

Primary Region

Barossa, South Australia

People

Winemaker: Shawn Kalleske

Availability

National

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