2001 Brown Brothers Tarrango

Notes sourced from Brown Brothers.

Tarrango is a unique Australian grape variety, bred by CSIRO scientists in 1965 by crossing the Portuguese red grape variety Touriga with the versatile white grape Sultana. It was developed specifically to produce a light, fresh red wine ideal for summer drinking in the many countries with warm to hot summers. Named after the tiny township of Tarrango in the Mallee district of north-west Victoria, where it was designed to thrive, the vines bear generous crops that ripen late and maintain a fresh acidity and soft grapey flavour. The Brown family has been making wines from Tarrango since 1980. In recent years however, a small amount of fruit has been fermented by the carbonic maceration technique, as practiced in Beaujolais and other areas in southern France, where berries are allowed to ferment whole and uncrushed. This contributes added complexity and flavour to the final wine.

The Tarrango grapes used to make this wine were grown in Victoria. The fruit was harvested in parcels from late February until mid April 2001 at a range of baumé levels from 11.3° to 13.1°. Approximately twelve percent of the fruit underwent carbonic maceration. It was then blended with other parcels and bottled soon after fermentation was completed with an alcohol of 13.0%, a pH of 3.54 and an acid level of 5.7 gr/l.

A delicate, light-bodied red wine that should be served lightly chilled. The wine is a pale cherry red colour with fresh, aromatic aromas of ripe cherries and juicy strawberries. These delicious aromas are echoed on the palate, which finishes with a cleansing, dry, fresh finish. Lightly chilled, it makes the perfect wine to sip on, either as an aperitif or to accompany a relaxing al fresco lunch. To truly appreciate this light, fresh, flavoursome red wine it should be enjoyed within 2 years of vintage.