Some great reviews have just in from veteran Australian wine writer Ken Gargett on Wine Pilot with 10 Château Tanunda wines rated 91 to 97 points.
Leading the way again is the pinnacle of winemaking at Château Tanunda, The Everest Shiraz 2021, rated 97 Points following other excellent recent reviews by Andrew Caillard (97 Points), and Sam Kim at Wine Orbit (99 points).
97 Points – The Everest Shiraz 2021
‘’The initial vintage of this wine from the 2005 vintage picked up ‘World’s Best Shiraz’, and every release since then must also have been a contender. Coming from such a great vintage as 2021, this was always going to be something very special. Just 650 bottles made, the wine spent a year and a half maturing in French oak, including a contribution from new oak. Dark maroon/magenta in colour, this is supple, gorgeously plush and ever-so-generous. We have notes of smoked meats, cassis, blackberries, licorice, chocolate, cocoa powder, soy, leather and coffee beans. Finely balanced with silky tannins, it offers such amazing length and the intensity never waivers for a moment. A thirty year proposition.’’
96 Points – 100 YOV Shiraz 2021
‘’Incredible ancient vines are in play for this gorgeous Shiraz. Centenarian bush vines, ungrafted, the grapes are fermented in small open fermenters with hand plunging up to four times a day. Basket pressing and then a couple of years maturing in French oak. The colour is near black maroon. This is plush, ripe and serious, but seriously delicious. Generous flavours that are simply saturated. The nose shows us coffee grinds, black fruits, soy, aniseed, cloves mocha and plums. Good acidity runs the full journey and the wine is balanced, focused and offers excellent intensity, with sleek tannins. Hard to imagine anyone thinking that this is anything other than a cracking Barossa Shiraz. it simply screams of its origin. Now for fifteen to twenty years.’’
93 Points – Terroirs of the Barossa Ebenezer District Shiraz 2022
”The team used small open fermenters and a basket press to ensure that the treatment of this wine was as gentle as possible. As part of their Terroirs series, this one hails from the Ebenezer sub-region. It is the tenth release of this wine. It spent a year and a half maturing in a combination of French and American oak. The colour is a dark maroon hue. Notes of Christmas cake, plums, mocha, coffee beans and chocolate are all evident here. The key is the plushness of the wine. There are fine though noticeable tannins on display, very good length and a seamless structure. A really attractive Shiraz which will provide pleasure any time over the next dozen years. It really shows the class of the Ebenezer sub-region.”
93 Points – Terroirs of the Barossa Greenock Shiraz 2022
”Also from the Terroirs series is this delicious offering from the Greenock sub-region, well known for its alluring richness. Maturation was a year and a half in a mix of French and American oak barrels. The colour is purple maroon. The nose exhibits wonderfully generous and approachable aromas of mocha, chocolate, dusty warm earth, blackfruits, plums, florals and raisins. A medium weight style with a lingering finish. Hopefully time will give it an extra level of intensity, but it seems a bit churlish to be too picky. The flavours are immensely appealing. Drink over the next eight to ten years.”
92 Points – The Château Single Vineyard Grenache 2023
”A single vineyard Barossa Grenache, the vineyard sitting next to Chateau Tanunda. A percentage of whole bunches were included in the fermentation and the wine saw a year maturing in older French oak puncheons. At the moment, its predecessor takes the chequered flag in a photo finish but given time, expect this to lift. Deep crimson in colour, this is red fruit dominant, with cherries, cranberries, florals, cloves and dusty road notes. A little chocolate as well. This is intense, with good focus and silky tannins on a medium length finish. Half a dozen years will sail by. Lots to like here.”
93 Points – Grand Barossa Shiraz 2022
”Fermentation is by way of small batches, before basket pressing into a mix of new and older French and American barrels for a year and a half to mature. A very dark bruised plum hue here. Bold aromas with chocolate, black cherries, spices, blackberries, warm earth after rain and coffee grinds. Good concentration throughout, this is supple, dense and yet balanced. A line of fine acidity runs the length and there are sleek tannins. An eight to ten year proposition. Terrific value. The rest of the world must shake their collective heads and wonder how the region can offer wines of this quality for relative peanuts.”
93 Points – Grand Barossa GSM 2023
”A delicious and impressive GSM blend here – 56% Grenache, 26% Shiraz and 18% Mourvedre. The wine spent a year and a half maturing in a mix of older French and American oak. Garnet/crimson in colour, this is quite pungently aromatic. There are aromas of cherries, red fruits, dried herbs, spices and hints of cloves all swirling about. The structure gives us a seamless style with good direction and excellent length. There are fine tannins here and the palate shows both depth and weight. We see notes of plums and black cherries emerging on the palate. Delicious with a lingering finish, this is seriously good value. Enjoy it for the next six to ten years. Just what you’d hope for with a Barossa blend of this trio of grapes.”
92 Points – Grand Barossa Chardonnay 2023
”A percentage of the grapes harvested here spent time fermenting in older French oak with the intention of increasing the complexity of the wine, while maturation includes some new French barrels. Deep yellow hue, this is poised and taut. We have notes of hay, citrus, peaches, a touch of nuts and the merest hint of oak dust. There is a supple palate which sees the peach characters come to the fore. Medium to good length, fine balance and underlying supporting acidity, this will provide pleasure over the next four to five years.”
91 Points – Grand Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
”Cabernet for this delicious and richly flavoured red is sourced from all around the Barossa. The wine spends a year and a half maturing in a mix of older and new French barrels. The colour here is an opaque maroon. The nose gives us chocolate notes but also a strong dried herbs as a basis. We have tobacco leaves, aniseed and black olives as well. Good intensity, this is a wine of medium length with a line of fine acidity. Quite fine tannins are on display here. This is a wine for enjoying over the next four to eight years.”
91 Points – Grand Barossa Dry Riesling 2024
”Riesling from a wonderful vintage from the Barossa sub-regions of Tanunda and Vine Vale, some of the vines used here exceed a century in age. This is pale straw with a nose exhibiting bath salts, spices, citrus, talc and a minerally backing. There is a touch of lemongrass as well, with limes and florals. Lovely soft palate/texture, this is a pleasingly gentle style. Medium length but there is fresh acidity running the full journey. A fine Riesling for enjoying over the next six to eight years.”