Jack’s Block Shiraz: A Century of Vines
In 1921, a 26-year-old returned soldier named Jack Stanton planted a block of Shiraz and Muscat vines on his newly acquired Gracerray estate in Rutherglen. He built the winery himself with second-hand materials and whatever he could find on the property, and he worked those vines through drought, depression and decades of change.
Jack never missed a vintage until his final years. He lived to 94.
The vines he planted in 1921 are still producing. They are now over 100 years old, making them among the oldest Shiraz vines in Rutherglen. The wine they make, Jack’s Block Shiraz, is one of the most significant wines Stanton & Killeen produces: released only in the best vintages, only when the wine is considered truly worthy of the name.
From Fortified Wine to Table Wine: The Jack’s Block Story
Although Jack’s Block vines have been producing fruit since Jack’s first vintage in 1925, it would be almost seven decades before that fruit became a table wine. The reason is simple: for most of S&K’s history, fortified wine was what Australia drank. It was cheap, strong and kept well. Jack’s entire winemaking career was built around fortified production, as was his son-in-law Norman Killeen’s when he joined the business in the 1950s.
It wasn’t until the 1970s, following a remarkable shift in Australian drinking habits, that Stanton & Killeen began producing table wines at all. After 50 years as a fortified-only winery, red table wine was suddenly in demand and S&K responded. The Jack’s Block fruit, which had quietly been going into our Vintage Fortifieds all along, was eventually recognised as worthy of a single vineyard table wine in its own right. The first Jack’s Block Shiraz was released from the 1993 vintage, and the label has been used sparingly ever since.
A Rare Relic: 1990 Jack’s Block Vintage Fortified Magnum — $345
Before there was a Jack’s Block Shiraz, there was a Jack’s Block Vintage Fortified. In 2026, just two magnums of the 1990 vintage were released, making this one of the rarest bottles in the S&K range.
A 1990 Vintage Fortified from vines that were already nearly 70 years old at harvest is a genuinely extraordinary thing: more than three decades of slow development in barrel, concentrated fruit from one of our most significant blocks, and a history that connects you directly to Jack’s era of winemaking. This is a serious collector’s piece and not one to deliberate over for too long.
$345 per magnum. Only two available in 2026.
[LINK TO 1990 JACK’S BLOCK VINTAGE FORTIFIED MAGNUM]
Jack’s Block Shiraz: The Table Wine
The first Jack’s Block Shiraz was released from the 1993 vintage, more than 70 years after Jack planted the block. Since then, the label has been used sparingly: only the best vintages make the cut, and only when the wine is considered truly worthy of the name. Currently, three vintages are available, along with a selection of magnums from earlier releases.
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2021 Jack’s Block Shiraz: The Centenary Release
The 2021 vintage marks 100 years since Jack planted these vines, and it was always going to be a significant release. When the fruit came off the block in 2021, the team knew it was something special: a wine worthy not just of the centenary but of an even larger milestone on the horizon.
Rather than releasing immediately, Stanton & Killeen chose to wait, holding the wine back for the winery’s 150th anniversary in 2025. The 2021 Jack’s Block made its first official appearance at a celebratory dinner at the winery surrounded by family, friends and long-time customers, and the response was everything the occasion deserved.
On the palate, the 2021 is rich and full-bodied: blackcurrant, dark chocolate and coffee bean layered with savoury spice and firm, elegant tannins. A portion of the grapes were whole-bunch fermented to add floral aromatics and structural complexity, with careful ageing in select French and American oak bringing depth and finesse. It can be enjoyed now, but it will reward patience and evolve beautifully over the next five years and beyond.
Available individually and as part of the Collector’s Box.
[LINK TO 2021 JACK’S BLOCK SHIRAZ]
[LINK TO 2021 COLLECTOR'S BOX]
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2022 Jack’s Block Shiraz
The 2022 vintage follows the 2021 with the same quiet confidence that defines this label. Rutherglen’s long, warm growing season delivered concentrated fruit from the century-old vines, and the wine carries the hallmarks of the Jack’s Block style: deep colour, dark fruit, a savoury backbone and the structural integrity that comes from old vine material grown in the red loam soils of Gracerray.
A wine for the cellar and the table in equal measure.
Available online and at the cellar door.
[LINK TO 2022 JACK’S BLOCK SHIRAZ]
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2023 Jack’s Block Shiraz
The most recent release and the youngest expression of the Jack’s Block style currently available. The 2023 is approachable now but carries the same DNA: old vine intensity, Rutherglen character, and the careful winemaking approach that has defined this label since 1993. For those who want a bottle to open sooner rather than later without compromising on quality, this is the one.
Available online and at the cellar door.
[LINK TO 2023 JACK’S BLOCK SHIRAZ]
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Mixed Six-Pack 2021, 2022 & 2023 — $360
Can't decide between vintages? The Jack's Block mixed six-pack gives you two bottles each of the 2021, 2022 and 2023, packaged together so you can taste the evolution of this remarkable block across three consecutive years. A great way to explore the range or share with fellow wine lovers.
Available online and at the cellar door.
[LINK TO MIXED SIX-PACK]
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Jack’s Block Shiraz Magnums: 2016, 2018 and 2019 — $159.95 each
For those who want to enjoy Jack’s Block Shiraz in a format built for long aging and special occasions, these magnums are worth knowing about. Each vintage is drawn from the same century-old block and presented in a 1.5 litre format that slows the aging process beautifully. Three different years, three different expressions of the same remarkable site.
$159.95 per magnum.
[LINK TO JACK’S BLOCK SHIRAZ MAGNUMS]
The Collector’s Box: A Century in the Making
For those who want to mark this moment properly, this is it. The Jack's Block Centenary Collector's Box contains six bottles of the 2021 Jack's Block Shiraz, presented in a handcrafted wooden box, signed and numbered, with each bottle individually wrapped and tagged.
Only 100 of these boxes exist. It is not just a wine purchase: it is a piece of Rutherglen winemaking history, marking 100 years since Jack Stanton planted this block and 150 years of Stanton & Killeen. A gift that any serious wine lover would be proud to receive, and one worth opening on an occasion that deserves it.
Collector's Box: $450.
Six bottles of the 2021 Jack's Block Shiraz.
Signed, numbered, limited to 100 boxes.
When they are gone, they are gone.
[LINK TO COLLECTOR'S BOX]
About Jack’s Block
Jack’s Block sits on the Gracerray estate at Stanton & Killeen in Rutherglen, North East Victoria. The block comprises 1.5 hectares of Shiraz and 2.8 hectares of Muscat, both planted by Jack Stanton in 1921. The Muscat from this block goes into some of S&K’s most expressive fortified wines; the Shiraz, when conditions are right, becomes this wine.
Jack’s Block Shiraz is only released in the best vintages. It is, in every sense, a wine the vines have to earn.
Shop all available Jack’s Block wines at www.stantonandkilleen.com.au
