Langmeil Winery is celebrating 30 years of winemaking excellence from Director of Winemaking Paul Lindner, with the release of its new Old Vine Garden Wines - a collection of three exceptional Shiraz that honour the Barossa’s ancient vines, the Lindner family’s generations of connection to the region, and the responsibility of preserving this living legacy for the future.
The collection comprises the 2021 House of Lindner Shiraz, 2021 Lineage Shiraz and 2024 The Freedom 1843 Shiraz - wines that reflect the depth of Langmeil’s old vineyards and the experience of the winemaker who has cared for them for three decades.
For Paul Lindner, the milestone is a celebration more than his own winemaking journey. It reflects the people, vineyards, and generations that have shaped Langmeil Winery.
“I’ve always felt that we are custodians rather than owners of these old vines,” said Paul Lindner, Director of Winemaking. “Our role is to care for them, understand them and make wines that do justice to their history, while ensuring they remain here for generations to come.”
Lindner’s winemaking journey began in a backyard shed in Tanunda, where he made his first “Shed Red” from grapes left behind by mechanical harvesting. After returning to the Barossa in 1992 and completing studies in viticulture and winemaking, he joined Langmeil as its first cellar hand and maintenance employee.
In 1998, he was given the opportunity to make wine from Langmeil’s old vines. His first Freedom Shiraz went on to win the Trophy for Best Barossa Shiraz at the 2000 Barossa Wine Show, establishing the foundation for a 30-year career at the winery.
Today, Paul remains the custodian of Langmeil’s winemaking, working alongside Sales & Marketing Director and Co-Proprietor James Lindner, Proprietor Shirley Lindner, the wider Lindner family and dedicated vine growers who care for the vineyards year after year.
The Old Vine Garden Wines tell stories that reach well beyond the winery.
The 2021 House of Lindner Shiraz honours seven generations of Lindner family history in the Barossa, beginning with Johann Gottlob Lindner and Maria Rosine John, who emigrated from Prussia seeking freedom from religious persecution and war.
The 2021 Lineage Shiraz celebrates Shiraz’s enduring pedigree and the foresight of the early Prussian settlers, who recognised the Barossa’s viticultural potential in the 1840s. This heritage is reflected in a wine of depth and character, recently recognised with a Master at The Global Syrah Masters 2026.
And at the heart of the collection is 2024 The Freedom 1843 Shiraz, sourced from Langmeil’s remarkable Freedom vineyard, believed to have been planted by Christian Auricht in 1843. The original vines remain today among the oldest and rarest in the world.
The wines also capture two distinctive Barossa vintages. 2021 delivered near-perfect growing conditions, with mild summer weather allowing slow, even ripening and exceptional flavour development. 2024, by contrast, was an earlier, drier vintage, producing darker, more intense Barossa reds, with the old Shiraz blocks showing particular depth and concentration.
For James Lindner, the collection is a fitting way to recognise his brother’s contribution.
“Paul has spent 30 years caring for these vineyards and making wines that reflect where they come from,” said James Lindner. “This collection is a celebration of his contribution, but also of the family, growers and generations before us who have helped shape Langmeil and the Barossa.”
The Old Vine Garden Wines are available now through Langmeil Winery - www.langmeilwinery.com.au
