Chateau Tanunda Celebrating 130 years of winemaking
Saturday, July 4, 2020 in News
Château Tanunda: Celebrating 130 years of winemaking
Celebrating 130 years of winemaking, Château Tanunda’s latest releases are dressed for the occasion. From a 100-year-old vine icon to the youthful brio of the Bethanian, the Château Tanunda wines deliver on the age-old promise of Australia’s wine that conquered the world–Barossa Shiraz. Shop Château Tanunda Now.
The birthplace of the Barossa, Château Tanunda was established in 1890 and is home to some of the oldest planted vines in the region. European migrants had been planting vines since the 1840s. The winery was established to slake the European thirst for wine during the vinous catastrophe that was phylloxera.
Over 500 local growers contributed their fruit to this enterprise and the wines fetched the not inconsiderable sum of one pound per gallon. The heritage-listed building was, at the time of its completion, the largest in the southern hemisphere. Built using local bluestone from Bethany, steel from Glasgow and oak from France, the construction provided employment to the many stonemasons in the region, taking less than a year to complete. The Barossa’s first winery, Château Tanunda is the site of some of the valley’s first planted vines.
Over the years, Château Tanunda has been schooled some of the most important names in Australian wine including Bill Seppelt, Grant Burge, Geoff Merrill and more.
The historic importance of Château Tanunda is hard to overstate when it comes to winemaking in the Barossa and, as a consequence, across Australia. But if we only look to its past, we’ll miss out on Château Tanunda’s wonderful present.
There really is no substitute for vine age. The fruit for Château Tanunda’s old and ancient vine Shiraz is sourced from parcels that have been drinking in the terroir of the Barossa Valley for decades. Each year the vines dig a little deeper in search of nutrients. Each stratified layer of geology combined with the gnarled roots imparts more complexity and more layer than younger vines can hope.
Château Tanunda The Château 100 Year Old Vines Barossa Shiraz
The 2016 vintage is a triumph, a flag bearer for the rejuvenation of such an august institution. Dating back to before 1917, these vines predate both world wars and the Great Depression. Planted prior to mechanisation and irrigation, site selection at the time was vital. These ancient, dry-grown, low-yielding bush vines are hard-working, producing fruit that manifests as deep, concentrated and complex.
The latest Château Tanunda releases include The Château 50 Year Old Vines Barossa Shiraz, Terroirs Of The Barossa Ebenezer District Shiraz and The Château Bethanian Barossa Valley Shiraz. To access Château Tanunda wines now - contact a broker or shop online.
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