2007 Tatiarra Cambrian Shiraz

In the last Vintage Direct, we featured one of the red wine bargains of the year, the 'reject' wine from the Domaines Tatiarra - 'Culled Barrel' ($24.99). Tatiarra's Cambrian Shiraz is produced from exactly the same fruit, but sells for nearly twice the price. The difference between the two wines in quality and finesse remains marked, and is evident when tasting the contents of barrels before grading, blending and bottling. The cause of these differences partly lies in the barrels themselves and in the mysteries of the barrel maturation process. Wooden barrels were invented by Iron Age Celtic tribes who probably observed that a boat was essentially a water-tight half barrel. Being as skilled with iron as they were with timber, they built a 360 degree version with iron hoops to hold it together. Barrels proved to be more managable and robust storage vessels than traditional earthen ware and were soon employed for the transportation of almost every kind of commodity - from flour and salt, to gunpowder and nails (even cash money!)

With the modern advent of cardboard, glass, plastic and steel containers, barrels were gradually displaced, assured of an ongoing role only thanks to historical coincidence and a curious fact: Certain beverages are uniquely enhanced by exposure to oak. The contribution of oak flavour to wine styles such as Shiraz, has become so desirable that some producers consider the barrel to be the most important wine making tool. Of the 200 species of the oak genus, only three are preferred for use in winemaking. These are found in different European and American forests and are further classified by location of the forest and also by cooperage (barrel maker). Each cooper has his own formula for barrel production. Recently, coopers have learnt that levels of certain desirable oak compounds can actually be controlled by seasoning regimes, bending techniques, toasting times and temperatures. These compounds are gradually extracted from barrels during maturation, influencing the bouquet, taste and/or mouthfeel and overall complexity of the finished wine. To help winemakers achieve more consistent results, homogenisation underpins modern barrel production. But as with any natural product, some variation is inevitable. This is one aspect which accounts for the differences between Tatiarra's wines, for which a matrix of French and American oak barriques are used including Dargaud and Jaegle, Saury, Taransaud Francois Frere Bossuet and A.P. Johns. The range of aromas offered by this mix can include spice, vanilla, coconut, cedar, floral, fruit, vegetative, tea leaf, leather, cream, nutty and smoky characters to mention but a few. As new barrels are purchased and introduced with each vintage, the challenge presented to the winemaking team is to 'tweak' rather than radically alter the oak 'flavour' regime in order to achieve a seamless integration of fruit and oak, then create a blend that is greater than the sum of its parts. Both are art forms in themselves. In the hands of a skilled winemaker, a successful outcome can be compared to the signature style of a great artist - that which is repeated with panache, universally recognised as 'great' and ultimately distinguishes their work from their contemporaries,

The Cambrian Shiraz Represents Tatiarra's Purest Expression Of Heathcote's 500 Million Year Old Cambrian Terroir.

Vintage conditions: Over the last few months we've tasted verticals of Tatiarra from 2002 – 2007 and are enthralled by the consistency and the aging capacity that each vintage clearly demonstrates. Although the 2007 growing season was difficult due to the extreme drought conditions, great wine was still produced at Tatiarra. Viticulturist Bob Wilson uses radio controlled moisture probes to monitor root moisture content, whilst manipulating bud numbers, canopy cover and crop levels. The team's skills were fully tested, however they managed to maintain tension and avoid stressing the vines – a tough ask even under ideal conditions. The 2007 Tatiarra releases are of extraordinary quality, but in very short supply.

Tasting note: Opaque black purple colour with black purple hue – a saturate of colour. The nose delivers a superb sniff with violet top note followed by blackberry, spice, vanilla and fresh liquorice with a subtle oak and black pepper end notes. The palate flavours are explosive – loaded with layers of black pepper, blackberry, spice and liquorice, totally mouthfilling – outstanding length and depth. Fine grained dryish, but balanced tannins. Exceptionally long aftertaste of blackberry and liquorice allsorts. A magnificent example and a vinous testament to the ability of the viticulturalist and winemaking team to produce an exceptional result in a tough year.
Cellar 10-12 years (2018-2020)
Alc/Vol: 15.5%