Tarrahill SHIRAZ

Style: Tarrahill Shiraz is typically very dense and layered wine. Only in some years does it reveal the lightness of a “cool climate” shiraz. However even in its ripest years it does not have the “jamminess” which can prevent shiraz from achieving elegance.

Clone: unknown

Wood: French oak (Claude Gillett). In 2019 some of the Shiraz has been matured in American oak.

Reviews:

Tarrahill Shiraz 2010

Rated: 94 Points     Halliday’s Wine Companion

“Clear and bright crimson-purple; a perfect example of the freshness and elegance that can be achieved at a (relatively) low alcohol without any downside; the red fruit flavours have no hint of mint or green characters, and the palate is long and silky smooth.”

Tarrahill Shiraz 2014

Rated: 95 Points Halliday’s Wine Companion

“Includes 15% cabernet sauvignon, matured in Francois Freres French oak (30% new). Relatively light, but vivid, crimson-purple; the highly fragrant bouquet lights the way for a light to medium-bodied palate that tastes and feels like 13%, not 14.2%; it has vibrantly fresh red fruits, fine tannins and good oak integration.  The cabernet has not pulled the rug from under the feet of the shiraz.”

Tarrahill Shiraz 2015

Rated: 92 Points Campbell Mattinson, Winefront Review

“Yarra Valley shiraz with a bit more grunt than usual. There’s spice here and indeed complexity but it’s hard to go past the fruit. The centre here is sweet and rich, plums and redcurrant, which gives it a generous, full-bodied feel. Or certainly full-bodied in a Yarra Valley shiraz context. Meat, cloves, anise, tobacco, florals, molasses; all make appearances here. The edges dance with flavour. Tannin accordingly is ripe, there’s some warmth, but the finish remains full of running.” 

Rated: 94 Points Halliday’s Wine Companion

“27yo vines, hand-picked, crushed/destemmed, fermented in tank with cultured yeast, 16 days on skins, matured in French oak (25% new) for 14 months. Strikingly deep, almost opaque, crimson-purple hue doesn't deceive: this full-bodied shiraz has a kaleidoscope of blackberry, black cherry, licorice, tar and spice aromas and flavours, oak and tannins also doing their duty. The one thing the wine cries out for is a minimum of 5 years, preferably 10, in the cellar.”

Tarrahill Shiraz 2016

Rated: 97 Points Halliday’s Wine Companion

“The inky depths of the colour, of the smoking bouquet,the endless layers of the omnibus of black fruits,liquorice, the voluminous but soft folds of tannin are exceptional. you need to give it a bare minimum of 20 years to lose its puppy fat, another decade for its adolescence and then you will have 30 years to enjoy the mature wine that awaits. Buy some for your grand- or god, and hope to nick a glass when they aren’t looking. 14.2%alc. To 2078”