THE EXTRAORDINARY 2003 TATIARRA SHIRAZ WINES The 2003 Tatiarra Shiraz wines from Heathcote are nothing short of extraordinary. In just one year the vineyard has received enormous international acclaim for the power and concentration of the Cambrian Shiraz wines. Last November, Vintage Direct reviewed the wines that are produced by Domaines Tatiarra Limited, an unlisted public company run by the old man, Nick Chlebnikowski, and CFO Bill Spring. The pair have assembled a formidable team of winemakers, Ben Riggs and Peter Flewellyn, together with viticulturist extraordinaire and owner of the cult wine Whistling Eagle - Ian Rathjen.
We gave the old man and his mates a hard time to start with, to ensure we were not accused of going soft on them. Now the tables have turned – the world is scrambling for the wines that are now being sold on allocation.
The reviews for the 2002 vintage set the stage, with James Halliday in his 2005 Australian Wine Companion rating the vineyard amongst the top 3 of Heathcote, alongside Jasper Hill and Redesdale Estate Wines. He went on to say "It is hard to imagine a more auspicious start to a new venture than that provided by the 2002 wines." Huon Hooke, called the wines "remarkable". American Importer, Benjamin Hammerschlag of Epicurean Wines in Seattle, described the wines from Tatiarra as a “V12 Ferrari roaring up the Northern Highway” and the world’s most powerful wine critic, Robert Parker in his recent WINE ADVOCATE magazine had the following to say, “South Australian winemaker Ben Riggs has moved from the warmer climates of McLaren Vale to the cooler Heathcote region for this new project. His stunning Tatiarra offerings should provide a wake up call for some of the other Heathcote producers who have been coasting along in cruise control...The beautiful 2002 Cambrian Shiraz First Release produced from yields of 1.3 tonnes of fruit per acre and aged 18 months in new French oak reveals aromas of lavender, dusty earth, sweet black currants and blackberries. With a gorgeous texture, full body and wonderful ripeness as well as length, this impressive shiraz should hit its prime in 2-4 years and age for 12-15.” On the 2003 Tatiarra Cambrian Shiraz Robert Parker wrote, “a barrel sample of the 2003 Cambrian Shiraz also reveals marvellous raw materials, combining both power and elegance. It should evolve into as multi-dimensional wine as its older sibling.” After all these accolades, one would have at least expected a price rise but not so! The Tatiarra team are firmly focused on producing extraordinary wines for the long haul and even the CFO agreed that prices should remain stable. The bad news is that stocks are limited and given the worldwide demand and rave reviews the wines are sure to sell out quickly.“STUNNING . . . BEAUTIFUL . . . GORGEOUS . . .MULTI DIMENSIONAL . . .WONDERFUL RIPENESS . . . AMONG THE FINEST SHIRAZ WINES I HAVE EVER TASTED FROM HEATHCOTE”-
Robert Parker JR. commenting on the 2003 Tatiarra Heathcote wines. The Tatiarra Cambrian Shiraz is the purest expression of the vineyard. The wine is made entirely from free run juice, with no pressings added back, giving the wine lover a perfect Cambrian flavour profile. The wine is fermented in small open 5 tonne fermenters and hand plunged. The fruit in the vineyard is picked over 4 different picking dates, giving winemaker scope for complex flavour profiles. The wine is fermented to near dry before being transferred into new and used French oak to complete fermentation and subsequent malolactic fermentation. A combination of varying fermentation techniques have been used. Barriques from Taransaud, Saury, Darjaud Jaegle add to the complexing layers. Taransaud oak contributes quite a firm tannic backbone to the wine and must be balanced against more perfumed oaks such as Saury which results in strong cedar aromatics. Tasting Notes: Totally opaque black purple colour with black purple hue. The nose is a superb sniffing experience, with top note of violets, followed by blackberry, cedar, raspberry and blackcurrant. The palate structure is exquisite, refined, yet powerful. Flavours of white pepper explode over layers of blackberry, raspberry, plum, violet infusions and cedar. Fine quite dry tannins – the driest of the 2003 Tatiarra wines, yet perfectly balanced to the finish. Exceptional length and noteworthy long aftertaste of blackcurrant, blackpepper and spice.
Cellar 20+ years (2024+)
Alc/Vol: 15.5% RATING 99/100
VALUE XXXXX/5
Robert Parker's Review:
A barrel sample of the 2003 Shiraz Cambrian reveals marvelous raw materials, combining both power and elegance. It should evolve into a multidimensional wine.
(Notes Sourced from Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate #155)
ROBERT PARKER'S RATING: (91-93)
Other reviews......
Strong colour; archetypal Heathcote layered, sweet blackberry and plum fruit off-set by velvety, fine tannins. Excellent oak handling.
Rating 96
Drink 2018
"James Halliday - 2006 Australian Wine Companion"
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