Bethany Blue Quarry Grenache 2022
Charles Melton Rosé of Virginia 2024 Rosé 2024
G 93
G 93
Medium deep crimson. Intense dark cherry, dried herb aromas with earth and spice notes. Generously flavoured with very good mid-palate volume and firm yet fine tannins wiht impressive potential. Drink 2026–2032 14.5% Chaffey Brothers Omnia Nova Old Vine Syrah 2023 G 93 From the Second Corinthians, 5:17, the name means that all becomes new. It relates to the idea that this is Barossa Shiraz reinvented. Not a small task. 15% whole bunches, eight months in old French hogsheads. 270 dozen made. Purple/maroon in colour, the nose is a little bit exotic and alluring. Smoked meats, bay leaves, black fruits, chocolate and dried herbs. A supple and seductive texture here with balance, sleek tannins and very good length. Will provide pleasure for at least the next eight to 10 years. Does it reinvent Barossa Shiraz? Perhaps not, but what is far more important is that it really is delicious and impressive drinking. Drink now–2034 Chaffey Brothers Evangeline Syrah 2022 G 93 There was me thinking that we had a wine named in tribute to The Band and that great song of theirs, ‘Evangeline’ (anyone who has not seen The Last Waltz – surely the greatest concert film of all time – needs to move it top of their bucket list immediately). Apparently not so. Rather, it is a Biblical reference to salvation. Well, The Band did play with Dylan for so many years, so perhaps we are somewhere halfway. However one wants to interpret this, it is a heavenly red. And it has a serious pedigree, with the previous vintage winning Decanter Magazine’s Best in Show. 490 dozen. This is a vibrant magenta colour with a rather savoury nose. There are earthy notes, along with black fruits, leather, beef stock, soy and cloves. Seamless in style with fine acidity and satiny tannins, there is impressive length. Good intensity throughout and yet it retains a degree of elegance, this is a wine with a very promising future. It should provide pleasure for the best part of a decade. Drink now–2034 Chaffey Bros. Wine Co Superbarossa Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2021 G 93 Deep crimson. Restrained fragrant bouquet of red- and blackcurrant, blackcurrant leaf, and white pepper. Bright, fruit forward and juicy. Lovely buoyancy and energy, good freshness and vibrant blackberry fruit. Tannins are polished and well- integrated. Excellent balance. Drink now–2028 13.9% alc
Rosé lovers around Australia owe Charlie Melton a debt of gratitude. For years, most local roses were not worth the empty bottle they came in. Mawkish, sweet, unbalanced, unhappy wines that really failed to impress on any level. Just a few producers maintained the faith and Charlie was certainly one of them. This was always a serious Rosé, though that never impacted on it being utterly delicious. It is, of course, named after Charlie’s wife, Virginia, who is the rock that holds the entire operation together. The blend looks to Grenache, Shiraz and Cabernet from regions such as Krondorf and Eden Valley. The colour is close to a fire truck red with punchy aromatics to follow. No shrinking violets here. Red fruits, strawberries, florals, orange rinds and spices on the nose, while the palate offers a soft yet focused structure. There is fine acidity and a lingering finish, this will drink majestically for at least five to six years. A no-holes barred Rosé many will love. Drink now–2030 Château Tanunda Grand Barossa GSM 2023 G 93 A delicious and impressive GSM blend here – 56% Grenache, 26% Shiraz and 18% Mourvèdre. 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 to enjoy for the next six to 10 years. Just what you’d hope for with a Barossa blend of this trio of grapes. Drink now–2034 Château Tanunda The Château Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 G 93 Medium crimson. Blackcurrant, chinotto, herb aromas with hints of cedar. Fresh cassis, cola flavours, fine loose-knit grainy tannins, attractive mid-palate richness and underlying savoury notes. Finishes firm and long. Drink now–2028 14.5% alc Chateau Tanunda Terroirs of the Barossa Ebenezer Shiraz 2022 G 93 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. Drink now–2036
116
The Vintage Journal – Regional Focus
South Australia 2024
117
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