Chateau Tanunda: Terroirs of the Barossa Shiraz Range 2006

Firstly, kudos to Chateau Tanunda for an exercise like this – To my knowledge there is no other producer that has sourced fruit from different Barossan subregions and served to highlight their terroir in this way – plenty have individual vineyard wines from all over the valley, but few treat them as a terroir exercise & make them in exactly the same fashion (like was done with these)

Wine 1: Ebenezer Shiraz 2006
(Sandy Loam over Grey Clay, 80yr old vines, 15%)
Earthy, meaty nose with a bit of Grange like Formic on the nose, the palate has big rich chocolate flavours with a big alcohol hit on the back. Ultra high quality fruit in a very smooth, old school Barossan style. After leaving it for a little I returned to the glass and found that there was a bretty, animal character that I hadn’t notice the first time that somewhat obscured the fruit. Never got the chance to see whether it would end up blowing off. No doubting the quality though. 18/20

Wine 2: Lyndoch Shiraz 2006
(Brown Earth & Gravel, 15yr old vines, 16%)
This was much more aromatic & forward than the other too, with an addictive red fruit nose.
Jubey red fruit on the nose in a slightly one dimensional style, the palate has lovely intense raspberry & red plum flavours and is propped a little by some vanillan oak. Real flavour and style here. Finished with furious alcohol heat.
The heat was a turnoff, but this was otherwise one delicious wine. 18/20

Wine 3: Greenock Shiraz 2006
(Heavy Brown Earths, 60yr old+ vines)
This was definitely the most backward dense nose and had me thinking about Torbreck reds. The fruit is compact, coiled with little whisps of red licorice and apricot escaping. The palate is tight and powerful & the oak also seemed more dominant here, even though all these wines had near identical oak treatment.
Potential plus, but no questioning the quality. 18.7/20+

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Needless to say, besides the heat on the finish and a little bit of Bretty, meatiness of the Ebenezer wine, these wines where incredibly impressive, unquestionably high quality drinks highlighting some seriously good Barossan fruit.