Château Tanunda 100 Year Old Vines Shiraz 2019
- 96
- $150
- Drink by: 2023-2043
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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.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
