2007 Ox Hardy Upper Tintara Vineyard ‘Little Ox’ Shiraz | Outstanding Museum Release

🏆 A Rare Mature Release from One of McLaren Vale's Great Historic Shiraz Vineyards

2007 Vintage | Upper Tintara Vineyard | Almost Two Decades of Bottle Age

Made by Andrew “Ox” Hardy – One of Australia's Most Respected Winemakers & Former Petaluma Winemaker

From the Historic Upper Tintara Vineyard – Home to Shiraz Vines Planted in 1891

McLaren Vale, South Australia

Rare Mature Release

2007 Vintage

RRP $60

Every now and then we get our hands on a wine where the story is almost as extraordinary as what's inside the bottle.

2007 OX HARDY UPPER TINTARA VINEYARD “LITTLE OX” SHIRAZ

This isn't simply an old bottle of McLaren Vale Shiraz.

It's a mature wine from one of the most historically significant vineyard sites in South Australia.

It's made by:

ANDREW “OX” HARDY

a fifth-generation member of one of Australia's great winemaking families, with around four decades of winemaking experience including many years at Petaluma.

And then there's the vineyard.

UPPER TINTARA.

The property has been associated with the Hardy family since Thomas Hardy purchased it in 1871.

And within Upper Tintara survives an extraordinary block of Shiraz planted by Thomas Hardy in:

1891.

Those vines are still producing fruit today.

More than 130 years later.

And cuttings from these remarkable vines have been used over the years to establish other celebrated vineyards around the district.

This is one of the great pieces of McLaren Vale wine history.

And you're getting a mature 2007 Upper Tintara Shiraz for:

RRP $60.

Tasting Notes

At almost two decades old, this isn't about enormous primary fruit anymore.

This is where mature Shiraz gets interesting.

Expect:

• Blackberry

• Dark plum

• Black cherry

• Dried red fruits

• Liquorice

• Black pepper

• Anise

• Dried herbs

• Leather

• Tobacco

• Earth

• Dark chocolate

• Savoury spice

• Ferrous, ironstone-like minerality

There's still fruit underneath everything.

But bottle age has allowed those primary characters to evolve into something much more complex.

Dark fruits move toward leather, dried herbs, earth, spice and savoury complexity.

The tannins have softened.

The different components have knitted together.

And instead of youthful power, you get:

Complexity.

Savouriness.

Elegance.

Maturity.

History in a glass.

That's why mature Australian Shiraz can be so compelling.

The Upper Tintara Vineyard

This is where the story becomes extraordinary.

Upper Tintara is located in the elevated Blewitt Springs area of McLaren Vale.

The property was originally planted in the 1860s by pioneering viticulturist and winemaker Dr A.C. Kelly.

Then, in:

1871

the property was purchased by:

THOMAS HARDY.

One of the foundational figures of the South Australian wine industry.

Under Hardy, Upper Tintara became a major wine operation.

At its peak, the property contained hundreds of hectares of vines and supported a substantial community of vineyard and winery workers.

And remarkably:

The Hardy family still owns Upper Tintara today.

More than 150 years later.

The 1891 Shiraz Vines

Then we get to the extraordinary part.

In:

1891

Thomas Hardy planted Shiraz at Upper Tintara.

Today, a surviving:

2.54 HECTARE BLOCK

of those vines remains.

These aren't merely “old vines.”

They are:

ANCESTOR VINES.

Among the extraordinary survivors of Australia's nineteenth-century viticultural history.

Andrew Hardy's family refers to the selection as:

“Bob's Selection”

after Andrew's father.

And over the years, cuttings from these vines have been borrowed by neighbouring growers to establish some of the district's celebrated vineyards.

Think about that.

The genetic material from Upper Tintara has travelled through McLaren Vale.

That's how important this vineyard is.

Could This Be One of McLaren Vale's Greatest Shiraz Vineyards?

We think it belongs in the conversation.

And we're certainly not alone.

When James Halliday reviewed the 2008 Ox Hardy Ancestor Vines Shiraz, he awarded it:

99 POINTS

and described Upper Tintara as:

“one of the greatest vineyards in McLaren Vale.”

That's an enormous statement.

But when you look at the history, it's easy to understand why.

A vineyard first established in the nineteenth century.

Shiraz vines surviving from 1891.

A site that continues producing extraordinary fruit more than 130 years later.

And a winemaker whose family has been connected with the property for generations.

This is Australian wine history.

Andrew “Ox” Hardy

Then there's the winemaker.

ANDREW “OX” HARDY.

Ox is the great-great-grandson of Thomas Hardy and one of Australia's most experienced winemakers.

His career spans approximately four decades and includes winemaking across:

McLaren Vale

Adelaide Hills

Clare Valley

Coonawarra

as well as international experience in:

California

Oregon

Bordeaux

But many Australian wine lovers will know him particularly from his years with:

PETALUMA.

His winemaking philosophy is based around restraint.

Great fruit doesn't need to be beaten into submission.

Let the vineyard do the talking.

And when your vineyard is Upper Tintara?

That's a pretty sensible philosophy.

Why Blewitt Springs Matters

Upper Tintara sits in the higher country of Blewitt Springs, one of the most exciting parts of McLaren Vale.

The elevation makes it cooler than much of the Vale floor.

That helps the grapes retain:

Natural acidity.

Freshness.

Perfume.

Colour.

The soils also change dramatically through the vineyard.

You'll find combinations of:

Red and brown loam

Sand

and importantly:

IRONSTONE.

That ironstone can contribute a distinctive ferrous, bloody, mineral character to Upper Tintara Shiraz.

It's a fascinating signature.

And it's one of the things that separates great vineyard-specific Shiraz from generic regional wine.

Nearly Two Decades Old

Here's another reason this wine is exciting.

2007.

As of 2026, you're looking at a wine approaching:

20 YEARS OF AGE.

You don't need to buy it and wait ten years.

Someone has already done the waiting.

That's increasingly rare.

Particularly at this price.

Mature Australian Shiraz from a vineyard with this sort of history can be an extraordinary experience.

The fruit changes.

The tannins soften.

The oak integrates.

And all those secondary and tertiary characters begin to emerge.

Leather.

Earth.

Tobacco.

Dried herbs.

Spice.

Savoury complexity.

That's the magic of mature wine.

A Piece of Australian Wine History for $60

This is the part I find extraordinary.

Look at what you're getting:

2007 Vintage

McLaren Vale Shiraz

Upper Tintara Vineyard

Hardy Family Vineyard

Historic Blewitt Springs Site

Home to Shiraz Planted in 1891

Made by Andrew “Ox” Hardy

Former Petaluma Winemaker

Almost Two Decades of Bottle Age

And:

RRP $60

Try finding that combination anywhere else for sixty bucks.

Food Pairings

Mature Shiraz deserves food with savoury depth rather than overwhelming richness.

Try it with:

• Roast lamb

• Beef Wellington

• Slow-braised beef cheeks

• Roast duck

• Venison

• Mushroom ragù

• Porcini risotto

• Aged cheddar

• Comté

• Parmigiano Reggiano

But I'd probably keep it simple.

Good steak.

Big glass.

2007 Little Ox.

And spend the evening watching the wine change.

Serving a Mature 2007 Shiraz

This is important.

At nearly 20 years of age, treat the bottle with some respect.

Stand it upright for several hours before opening if possible.

That allows any sediment to settle.

Then open it carefully.

Don't automatically throw it into a decanter for three hours.

Taste it first.

Mature wines can evolve quickly once exposed to oxygen.

If it's tight, give it some air.

If it's already beautifully expressive, pour it gently and enjoy watching it develop in the glass.

Serve around:

16–18°C.

And use a decent-sized glass.

Why We Love It

Because there aren't many wines at $60 that can tell a story like this.

This isn't manufactured heritage.

It's real.

UPPER TINTARA.

Purchased by Thomas Hardy in 1871.

Shiraz planted in 1891.

The vineyard remains in Hardy family hands today.

Those ancient Shiraz vines are still producing fruit.

Their cuttings have helped establish other celebrated vineyards around McLaren Vale.

And Andrew “Ox” Hardy has spent decades understanding how to turn this remarkable site's fruit into wine.

Then add:

2007 VINTAGE.

Nearly two decades of maturity.

And:

RRP $60.

That's what makes this so exciting.

2007 OX HARDY UPPER TINTARA VINEYARD “LITTLE OX” SHIRAZ

McLaren Vale, South Australia

RRP $60

Historic vineyard. Outstanding winemaker. Mature vintage. Extraordinary provenance.

And maybe most importantly:

THIS MIGHT JUST BE ONE OF THE GREAT SHIRAZ VINEYARDS OF McLAREN VALE.

👉 If you love mature Australian Shiraz, old vineyards and wines with genuine history behind them, don't miss this. A 2007 Upper Tintara Shiraz for $60 is a remarkable opportunity.