TASTING NOTES - Wines available as at November 2008
2005 Tawonga Verdelho
2006 Tawonga Viognier
2004 Tawonga Reserve Shiraz / Viognier
2004 Tawonga Sparkling Shiraz / Merlot
2005 Tawonga Saperavi (A big Russian Red) (SILVER medal)
2004 Tawonga Grizzly (A Huge Ozzie Red)
2004 Tawonga Shiraz (Bottled 8th Feb 2008 ex older French & American bariques) (BRONZE medal)
2004 Tawonga Durif (Now Sold Out)
2002 Tawonga Merlot (most likely to throw a crust with age – always a good sign)
Tawonga NV Light Red (50% Merlot 50% Shiraz) - ideal chilled.
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Tawonga Verdelho 2005
Colour: Brilliant, pale straw/green/yellow.
Aroma: A lingering, intense and complex aroma of Guava and tropical fruit.
Palate: Luscious mouth feel with strong complex flavours and good length. Finishes clean, crisp and dry.
Overall: Almost too easy to drink, this wine is delicious
now and will also develop more complexity with 2 to 3 years in bottle.
Food? Satays of prawns or tender chicken
fillet, it is has enough flavour to go with many foods. The smoked
scallops from ‘High Country Smokehouse’ are also a perfect
match.
Tawonga Viognier 2006
Colour: Brilliant, pale green straw.
Aroma: Intense and complex, apricot kernel, honeysuckle, with
spice and floral hints and just the faintest touch of French oak.
Palate: Elegant with a complex mix of flavours
and wonderful length. Has a rich, warm mouth feel which finishes
clean, crisp and dry.
Overall: A well balanced, complex and flavoursome wine to drink now or over the next 2 or 3 years.
Food? A real food wine, ideal with complex tasty foods, pork fillet with orange & honey would be a good start.
Tawonga Reserve Shiraz / Viognier 2004
Colour: Bright, very dark plum/cherry.
Nose: Intense & complex, strong black
pepper & spice layered with blackberry, integrated oak and a
Viognier lift.
Palate: Rich, mouth filling flavours complemented by silky
tannin and good acid balance. The finish is long and spicy.
Overall: A big full flavoured wine that, while very drinkable
now, will cellar comfortably till 2012. Like most of our reds,
opening an hour or two before drinking allows the flavours to open out
more. A crust may develop with age.
Food? A roast rack of lamb with garlic and rosemary would
be a good start or my special “Chicken fillet
with Balsamic, Soy and caramelised honey”.
Tawonga Sparkling Shiraz / Merlot 2004
Colour: Dark Cherry.
Nose: Fresh berry & cherry but watch the bubbles don’t go up your nose!!
Palate: Like a mouth full of black cherries and chocolate with bubbles and hints of spice.
Overall: Just too easy to drink – watch the 14% alcohol!
Food: Will go with just about anything except white fish.
Tawonga Saperavi 2005 (A big Russian Red)
(SILVER medal, Myrtleford & District Wine Show class 22)
Reminiscent of Cabernet but much more complex and bigger in flavour.
Has a sweet fruit aftertaste without the hard tannins of Cabernet.
Colour: Almost black red
Nose: A thick, rich aroma of
blackcurrant, fresh red capsicum and beetroot layered with anise,
spice, caramel and mint.
Palate: Rich mouth-filling fruit that really lasts. Smooth velvet tannins balanced with good acidity.
Overall: Give this 2 to 24 hours to breathe - a very
big complex wine that will age gracefully to at least 10 years old.
Food: A beef stroganoff, game, lamb
shanks and parsnip or a spicy hot salami and olive pizza would all
go very well.
Tawonga Grizzly 2004
(A Huge Ozzie Red)
Colour: Dark Black Cherry.
Nose: Amazingly intense berry fruit and plum.
Palate: Very rich and bold fruit with silky tannins and great length.
Overall: A very, very big wine – more fruit than tannin, drink now out till 2012.
Food: Beef or venison would be a good start.
Tawonga Shiraz 2004
(Bottled 8th Feb 2008 ex older French & American bariques) (BRONZE
medal Class 22 Myrtleford & District Wine Show)
Colour: Bright, black cherry.
Nose: Intense complex mix of cherry, plum, dark
chocolate, liquorice & spice with integrated oak underneath.
Palate: Mouth filling dark chocolate over fruit & spice
balanced by supple silky tannins. Excellent length with a
clean, lingering spicy finish.
Overall: More grunt than you would expect from a cool
climate, this is a rich Shiraz that is too easy to drink
now. Has enough strength and complexity to develop through
till 2010.
Food? I was going to say it needs a big
meal but this is a meal on its own – who needs food!
Roast beef, steak or it would also go wonderfully with tomato and meat based pastas.
Tawonga Durif 2004 SOLD OUT
Colour: Dark red plum.
Aroma: Rich spice (cinnamon & five spice) over Satsuma plum
Palate: Full bodied flavours that follow the aroma with velvet tannins to finish.
Overall: A rich wine that is not as tannic as Durif can sometimes be, now to 2010.
Food: Roast rack of lamb with Rosemary and garlic or an Indian curry.
Tawonga Merlot 2002 (most likely to throw a crust with age)
Colour: Brilliant, dark plum.
Aroma: Intense blackberry/cassis with fruitcake and Bordeaux overtones.
Palate: Strong initial fruit flavours backed up by good acid and tannin structure. Good length on the palate.
Overall: A full bodied wine with good fruit flavours, heading towards a modern French Bordeaux style, drink now till 2010.
Food? Rack of lamb with mint sauce will go with this very well.
Also try it with Italian style veal and tomato dishes.
Tawonga NV Light Red (50% Merlot 50% Shiraz) - ideal chilled.
Colour: Brilliant, pale bright cherry red.
Aroma: Fresh berries and spice.
Palate: The berry flavours of the Shiraz and Merlot meld to a delicious fruity palate that finishes dry.
Overall: Bigger and more complex than a Rosé, though with
no apparent tannin. Drink now, at about 12 degrees or over ice on
a very hot day.
Food? One of those wines that will go with just about
anything – my suggestion is a long lazy smoked salmon lunch.
Enjoy!!
John Adams - Winemaker