Chateau Tanunda Grand Barossa Red Blend 2017
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Wilfred
Wong
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Lifted aromas of blackberry, black cherry, and raspberry are accompanied by spicy, dark berry fruits and white pepper on the palate. The finish is long with fine-grained tannins from maturation in a combination of new and seasoned French and American barrels. Enjoy now or cellar carefully for up to eight years from vintage.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: I often experience Barossa red wines as powerful and fulfilling, and the 2017 Château Tanunda Red Blend is undoubtedly that, and more. TASTING NOTES: This wine brings ripe berries, blueberries, licorice, and oak to the fore. Pour a generous glass and pair it with grilled beef, and all will be good. (Tasted: January 31, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
Château Tanunda, the birthplace of the Barossa, is one of Australia’s most historically significant wineries. Established in 1890, it celebrates over 130 years of fine winemaking! The Château is privately owned by the Geber family, who have put their heart, soul and passion into handcrafting some of the Barossa’s most collectable wines, with a focus on unique Old Vine Expressions of 50, 100 and 150 Year Old vines and its most famous wine Grand Barossa Shiraz.
Wines are handcrafted by combining traditional methods and modern technology. Limited release wines are hand-picked, basket-pressed and bottled unfiltered. The team at Château Tanunda believe in minimal intervention to allow the true character of the grapes to express themselves.
Barrel ageing and master blending is our skill and art form. The vineyards are the soul; the basket-press winery is the heart; the wines are Château Tanunda’s passion with everything finely tuned to produce delicious, distinctive and elegant wines.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
The Barossa Zone encompasses the Barossa Valley and Eden Valley. Some of the oldest vines in Australia can be found here.
Barossa Valley of course is the most important and famous wine growing region in all of Australia where 140+ year-old, dry-farmed Shiraz vines still produce inky, purple and dense juice for some of Australia's best wines.
In the cooler, wetter Eden Valley sub-region, the Hill of Grace vineyard is home to famous Shiraz vines from the 1800s but the region produces also some of Australia’s very best and age-worthy Rieslings.