Château Tanunda 100 Year Old Vines Shiraz 2019

What a privilege, to sample a wine from vines more than a century in age. And what a cracking wine! The grapes hail from a single vineyard in Nuriootpa, the north of the Barossa, with ungrafted vines. These ancient vines grow in alluvial sandy soils. Maturation was in French oak for two years, although the oak is never intrusive. Near opaque magenta, the nose is concentrated and powerful. It is immediately obvious that this is no shrinking violet. A wine for carnivores. The aromas weave through black fruits, bay leaves, coffee beans, chocolate, animal hides, aniseed, mulberries and cassis. It is the cassis notes which stand up on the palate. Exhibiting impressive structure, approachable and generous, this is very long – persistent with intensity. Nicely balanced, there is bright acidity. There is a touch of vanillin oak notes evident but, as mentioned, these are not intrusive in any way. A really attractive Barossa Shiraz. Drink for ten to twenty years.