Château Tanunda 50 Year Old Vines Barossa Shiraz 2018
- 95
- $80
- Drink by: 2021-2036
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As the name suggests, these are vines with serious age, although they are dwarfed by some that have been around for three times longer that appear in other Château Tanunda wines. These vines were all planted before 1966, some quite a long time before. The grapes, again, were not crushed but rather destemmed and then spent a week on their skins in open fermenters, hand plunged twice daily. There followed basket pressing and maturation for two years in a mix of new and older French oak.
Loved it. A dark maroon opaque colour, followed by just gorgeous fragrances. The wine is concentrated and yet balanced and fully focused. Generous flavours throughout – spices, leather, black fruits, cassis, chocolate and coffee bean. Ripe, seamless and with a supple texture right across the palate. Satiny tannins, excellent length, this is a superb example of what the Barossa can do.
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.
