Tatiarra Cambrian Shiraz Vertical
From time to time, you can bump into some remarkable tasting opportunities. A few weeks back I was lucky enough to try 6 vintages of Tatiarra Cambrian Shiraz. This wonderful stuff is made in Heathcote by Ben Riggs, from low cropped vines planted on 2-300 million y.o. soils, above 500 million year old base rock. hence the name ‘Cambrian’ – The wine is named after the soil on which it is grown, there’s a strip of the stuff that works it’s way up the Heathcote winegrowing region, in a cigar shape not disimilar to Coonawarra.
You can read review after review after review, and hear people hype and hype and hype wines, but nothing quite beats being your own judge. I wrote these notes in a hurry, so I used the simple old fashioned show judging scoring system. Maxmimum 3 points for colour, 7 for aroma, 10 for palate. Here are the results – What an extraordinary lineup!
2.5, 5.5, 8. 16.
03. superb dense colour, bright crimson hue. perfumed nose of fresh blackberry, plum, liquorice, pepper and spice. very sweet, bright, lively entry into mouthfilling palate of plum and liquorice, hints of chocolate before white pepper. micro fine, dry tannin and remarkably fresh acidity hold the wine well, wonderful flavour to weight ratio. perfect balance. exceptionally long plum and pepper aftertaste. 4-6 years.
3, 6, 9. 18.
04. superb dense colour, deep mauve crimson hue. perfumed nose of plum, blackberry, liquorice, gravel, subtle hints of smoke and vanilla, white pepper end note. explosive palate – very full bodied, very plush, superb texture. ripe primary fruit flavours, which mask anything which may be happening underneath – plum, blackberry and liquorice. ultra fine tannins, good balance. comparatively short aftertaste. may be in a hole, or needs more time in the cellar to develop. certainly very appealing, and shows plenty of promise, but doesn’t quite deliver. 8-10 years.
3, 6.5, 7. 16.5.
05. fractionally less dense in colour than previous, yet still very deep, crimson hue. plum and spice above blackberry, gravel and sweet spice, hint of liquorice. generous texture, the palate a touch lighter, and all the better for it – ripe plum, and blackberry fruits and strong spice a good sprinkling of pepper and a hint of liquorice, stunning finish, a grand finale. velvet smooth tannins. astonishing length. simply gorgeous wine. 4-6 years.
2.5, 6.5, 9.5. 18.5
06. best colour thus far, inpenatrable, deep mauve hue. most expressive nose thus far. ripe plum, blackberry, violet and raspberry all delivered with a very refined perfumed lift. palate entry is a joy, seductive, slippery, silky, delivers enormous flavours of plum, liquorice, blackberry, pepper and spice. wonderfully structured, velvet smooth microscopic tannins and fresh acidity aid the delivery and persistance of the plethora of fine flavours this wine offers. seems to miss the minerality, which may develop at a later date. perfect balance. exceptionally long peppery plum finish and aftertaste. 8-10 years.
3, 7, 8.5. 18.5.
07. superb dense colour – any darker and it’d be black. mauve hue. violets, blackberry and pepper nose, a subtle hint of vanilla and gravel, maybe a slight hint of olive?, quite refined yet seductive. initially very very soft, but as the wine warms in your mouth it literally explodes – blackberry, plum, dark cherry before the tannins grip, and the spicey, peppery, liqouricey notes take the reins, to drive home the very long finish. perfect balace. very long aftertaste of blackberry and spice. the palate benefits greatly from being just a touch lighter, yet delivering flavour with similar force – similar to the 2005. 10-15 years.
3, 7, 9. 19.
2002 Tatiarra Cambrian Shiraz; superb dense colour, brick crimson hue. ripe full nose, blackberry and plum, leather and spice end note. rich palate entry into sweet ripe plum and fresh liquorice flavours over a background of leather and spice. micro fine tannins and good acidity hold the wine together, before the long, dry, subtle white pepper finish. very good balance. very near if not at peak. now – 2 years. 2.5, 5.5, 8. 16/20 15.5% Alc – Cork
2003 Tatiarra Cambrian Shiraz; superb dense colour, bright crimson hue. perfumed nose of fresh blackberry, plum, liquorice, pepper and spice. very sweet, bright, lively entry into mouthfilling palate of plum and liquorice, hints of chocolate before white pepper. micro fine, dry tannin and remarkably fresh acidity hold the wine well, wonderful flavour to weight ratio. perfect balance. exceptionally long plum and pepper aftertaste. 4-6 years. 3, 6, 9. 18/20 15.5% Alc – Cork
2004 Tatiarra Cambrian Shiraz; superb dense colour, deep mauve crimson hue. perfumed nose of plum, blackberry, liquorice, gravel, subtle hints of smoke and vanilla, white pepper end note. explosive palate – very full bodied, very plush, superb texture. ripe primary fruit flavours, which mask anything which may be happening underneath – plum, blackberry and liquorice. ultra fine tannins, good balance. comparatively short aftertaste. may be in a hole, or needs more time in the cellar to develop. certainly very appealing, and shows plenty of promise, but doesn’t quite deliver. 8-10 years. 3, 6.5, 7. 16.5/20 15.5% Alc – Cork
2005 Tatiarra Cambrian Shiraz; fractionally less dense in colour than previous, yet still very deep, crimson hue. plum and spice above blackberry, gravel and sweet spice, hint of liquorice. generous texture, the palate a touch lighter, and all the better for it – ripe plum, and blackberry fruits and strong spice a good sprinkling of pepper and a hint of liquorice, stunning finish, a grand finale. velvet smooth tannins. astonishing length. simply gorgeous wine. 4-6 years. 2.5, 6.5, 9.5. 18.5/20 15.5% Alc – Cork
2006 Tatiarra Cambrian Shiraz; best colour thus far, inpenatrable, deep mauve hue. most expressive nose thus far. ripe plum, blackberry, violet and raspberry all delivered with a very refined perfumed lift. palate entry is a joy, seductive, slippery, silky, delivers enormous flavours of plum, liquorice, blackberry, pepper and spice. wonderfully structured, velvet smooth microscopic tannins and fresh acidity aid the delivery and persistance of the plethora of fine flavours this wine offers. seems to miss the minerality, which may develop at a later date. perfect balance. exceptionally long peppery plum finish and aftertaste. 8-10 years. 3, 7, 8.5. 18.5/20 15.5% Alc – Cork
2007 Tatiarra Cambrian Shiraz; superb dense colour – any darker and it’d be black. mauve hue. violets, blackberry and pepper nose, a subtle hint of vanilla and gravel, maybe a slight hint of olive?, quite refined yet seductive. initially very very soft, but as the wine warms in your mouth it literally explodes – blackberry, plum, dark cherry before the tannins grip, and the spicey, peppery, liqouricey notes take the reins, to drive home the very long finish. perfect balace. very long aftertaste of blackberry and spice. the palate benefits greatly from being just a touch lighter, yet delivering flavour with similar force – similar to the 2005. 10-15 years. 3, 7, 9. 19/20 15.5% Alc – Cork
In 1857 the Prince Albert vineyard became the first Australian vineyard to be planted exclusively to Pinot Noir, and it existed as such until 1882. In 1975 someone discovered this fact, and replanted the vineyard – Oblivious to the fact that good Shiraz and Grenache vineyards exist elsewhere in Australia from a period long before then. One wonders why it took 90 something years to replant. If it was on the money to begin with, why rip the buggers out? Perhaps it was that stupid bug, Phylloxera..? Anyhow, I digress.
