I visited Adelaide in 1985, just a quick 5-day visit and stayed 10 years- one of the easiest cities in the world to live in and a must visit if your every in Australia. I visited Chateau Tanunda in that first week and then several times a year over the course of my stay. It wasn’t as grand as it is today but an amazing building never the less (it was fully restored in 1996) Check out www.chateautanduna.com for further photos.
The history of Chateau Tanunda started with a grand vision a hundred and thirty years earlier with the construction of a majestic bluestone Chateau to rival anything in the world with the aim of making world class wine to sell both locally and to ship to Europe. At that time Europe was wine starved (hard to believe, right) from the effects of Phylloxera that totally decimated vineyards in the early 1870’s. European vineyards were restocked from vine cuttings from both the US and Australia- both being far enough away not to be affected.
Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Aromas of Black fruits pour from the glass with hints of vanilla and eucalyptus delivering an invitation to further explore this wine. Palate is soft and silky smooth, even at the tender young age of 4. Blackberries, black currents and plums immediately coat your mouth leaving you with a warm fuzzy inviting feeling. Excellent balance with evident, but soft tannins and with impressive restraint and finesse. Wonderful length on the finish. This is really is an impressive wine and drinks well beyond the price point. Despite Barossa experiencing some hot spells in January and February, the last two weeks on the vine was perfect ripening conditions resulting in some exceptional wines from the 2018 vintage- this being a great example.
Drinking well now, especially with an hour or so decanting but will continue to improve over the next 10 years- 2032. Pair with any of your favorite red dishes.
Shiraz 2019
The Shiraz has all the hall markings of a classic Barossa Shiraz, loads of dark fruits, plums and black pepper on the nose, much of which reveals itself on the palate. Add some black currents, vanilla and a delightful nutty note to the nose profile and you have a really interesting Shiraz that over delivers and will definitely put a smile on your face. Again, drinking very well now, with a few hours decanting but will age gracefully over the next 8 years- 2030. Pair with your favorite dishes off the grill.
Vine to Table 