A Bête Noir is the bane of one's existence and here refers to the multitude of small parcels that go into this blend. Pete Schell's 2021 Bête is a blend of old-vine Barossa Shiraz and Eden Valley Shiraz sourced from vines located across seven different small family vineyards of Barossa's sub-regions--with the eastern foothills, Moppa and Moculta all contributing. Vineyard age ranges between 25 and 120 years, with "60 years being a fair average across the blend," according to Schell.

All the fruit was harvested by hand. The proportion of whole clusters varied from "everything to nothing" depending on the vineyard, with roughly 35% in the final cuvée. Vinified with indigenous yeast fermentation, elevage on lees in new (25%) and seasoned French oak barrels ranging in capacity from 225 L to 2500 L for 20 months prior to bottling without filtration.

The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - Shiraz
Country - Australia
Region - Barossa Valley
Vintage - 2021
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 14.5%