150 Year Old Vines 1858 Field Blend 2016
Tasting Notes

Lovely floral and spicy complexities, with hints of fruits of the forest,  pepper and ginger snap. The palate displays the full range of dark berries, Mediterranean herbs, and savoury pan jus elements. It is tight and compact, intense and deep, firm and taut, with nicely measured grip and tremendous length. A powerhouse of a wine, but also one possessed of great elegance.

Winemaking

The grapes are destemmed and fermented in a small open stainless steel fermenter over 10 days. We gently hand plunge the must several times per day for gentle extraction of aromas, colour and tannins.

Upon completion of fermentation, the wine is then basket-pressed and allowed to naturally complete malolactic fermentation, before 18 months’ maturation in French oak puncheons.  Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 

Vineyard

One of the oldest field blends in the world of Grenache, Mourvedre and Malbec planted in 1858. This small block in Springton in the Eden Valley is home to classified ‘Ancestor’ vines, dry grown as bush vines on their original rootstock.

The block yields just over 1 ton of grapes in the best of vintages, which are hand-picked into small picking baskets to optimize fruit health. 

RELEASE OCTOBER 2020  

Reviews
98 Points
Review by: Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
Immensely complex and majestic, the wine shows dark fruit intensity with seductive nuances of charcuterie, dried herb, dark chocolate, clove and cedar on the nose. It’s substantial and opulent on the palate, exhibiting exceptional depth and multi-layered mouthfeel, while remaining refined and harmonious. Symphonic, engaging and thought-provoking. At its best: 2026 to 2046. 
97 Points
Review by: Nick Butler, Huon Hooke's The Real Review
Dark plum colour in the glass. It's imposing and forceful when swirled, intense berry and plum fruits - quality, toasty oak - loads of moving parts. The palate is intensely-fruited: red, blue, purple and black berries, all tamed by that beautiful French oak. Built to live decades. An excellent wine. 
96 Points
Review by: James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion 2021
The field blend is of interplanted grenache, mourvedre and malbec. The clear, crimson colour is a good omen, and the wine is indeed very good. There is a balance between plum, blackberry and black cherry within a framework of French oak and tannins. It's only medium-bodied, but its balance should ensure a long future, the only uncertainty the cork.  Drink by 2040
97 Points
Review by: Andrew Caillard MW
Medium crimson. Intense red cherry, raspberry pastille, mocha aromas with roasted walnut notes. Well concentrated and vigorous with dense red cherry, raspberry, strawberry fruit flavours, roasted walnut, espresso, notes and persistent fine chalky tannins. Finishes chalky/ hint grippy firm with superb sweet fruit, dark chocolate, aniseed notes. 
98 Points
Review by: Falstaff Magazine
 
98
2016BAROSSAVALLEY
1858 FIELD BLEND
Chäteau Tanunda, Tanunda (AUS)
Im Duft: Süßkirsche, Aprikose, Matz,
Pflaume, Minze, kaum spürbares
Holz. Der Gerbstoff ist sandig, meh
lig,
hat Plastizität und eine Feinheit,
die nicht zu mild wirkt, aber eben
dennoch makellos reif und fein ist,
mit viel hintergründigem Druck.
Dichte und Saftigkeit gehen Hand in
Hand. alles wirkt ziseliert und
erweckt dennoch auch den Eindruck
großer innerer Festigkeit. Länge!
australienwein.com, 549,-

Im Duft: Süßkirsche, Aprikose, Matz, Pflaume, Minze, kaum spürbares Holz. Der Gerbstoff ist sandig, mehlig, hat Plastizität und eine Feinheit, die nicht zu mild wirkt, aber eben dennoch makellos reif und fein ist, mit viel hintergründigem Druck. Dichte und Saftigkeit gehen Hand in Hand. alles wirkt ziseliert und erweckt dennoch auch den Eindruck großer innerer Festigkeit. Länge!  

 

$500.00 per bottle


Other Vintages
2013 |  2015 |  2017 |  2018 | 
WINEMAKER
Neville Rowe
COLOUR
Red
GRAPE VARIETY
Grenache, Mourvedre, Malbec
GROWING REGION
Barossa Valley
MATURATION
18 Months in a French Oak
PDF TASTING NOTES
Download the Tasting Notes in PDF format.

 

 

Tasting Notes

Lovely floral and spicy complexities, with hints of fruits of the forest,  pepper and ginger snap. The palate displays the full range of dark berries, Mediterranean herbs, and savoury pan jus elements. It is tight and compact, intense and deep, firm and taut, with nicely measured grip and tremendous length. A powerhouse of a wine, but also one possessed of great elegance.

Winemaking

The grapes are destemmed and fermented in a small open stainless steel fermenter over 10 days. We gently hand plunge the must several times per day for gentle extraction of aromas, colour and tannins.

Upon completion of fermentation, the wine is then basket-pressed and allowed to naturally complete malolactic fermentation, before 18 months’ maturation in French oak puncheons.  Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 

Vinification

One of the oldest field blends in the world of Grenache, Mourvedre and Malbec planted in 1858. This small block in Springton in the Eden Valley is home to classified ‘Ancestor’ vines, dry grown as bush vines on their original rootstock.

The block yields just over 1 ton of grapes in the best of vintages, which are hand-picked into small picking baskets to optimize fruit health. 

RELEASE OCTOBER 2020  

Reviews
98 Points
Review by: Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
Immensely complex and majestic, the wine shows dark fruit intensity with seductive nuances of charcuterie, dried herb, dark chocolate, clove and cedar on the nose. It’s substantial and opulent on the palate, exhibiting exceptional depth and multi-layered mouthfeel, while remaining refined and harmonious. Symphonic, engaging and thought-provoking. At its best: 2026 to 2046. 

97 Points
Review by: Nick Butler, Huon Hooke's The Real Review
Dark plum colour in the glass. It's imposing and forceful when swirled, intense berry and plum fruits - quality, toasty oak - loads of moving parts. The palate is intensely-fruited: red, blue, purple and black berries, all tamed by that beautiful French oak. Built to live decades. An excellent wine. 

96 Points
Review by: James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion 2021
The field blend is of interplanted grenache, mourvedre and malbec. The clear, crimson colour is a good omen, and the wine is indeed very good. There is a balance between plum, blackberry and black cherry within a framework of French oak and tannins. It's only medium-bodied, but its balance should ensure a long future, the only uncertainty the cork.  Drink by 2040

97 Points

Score: 97 Points
Review by: Andrew Caillard MW
Medium crimson. Intense red cherry, raspberry pastille, mocha aromas with roasted walnut notes. Well concentrated and vigorous with dense red cherry, raspberry, strawberry fruit flavours, roasted walnut, espresso, notes and persistent fine chalky tannins. Finishes chalky/ hint grippy firm with superb sweet fruit, dark chocolate, aniseed notes. 

98 Points Review by: Falstaff Magazine
 
98
2016BAROSSAVALLEY
1858 FIELD BLEND
Chäteau Tanunda, Tanunda (AUS)
Im Duft: Süßkirsche, Aprikose, Matz,
Pflaume, Minze, kaum spürbares
Holz. Der Gerbstoff ist sandig, meh
lig,
hat Plastizität und eine Feinheit,
die nicht zu mild wirkt, aber eben
dennoch makellos reif und fein ist,
mit viel hintergründigem Druck.
Dichte und Saftigkeit gehen Hand in
Hand. alles wirkt ziseliert und
erweckt dennoch auch den Eindruck
großer innerer Festigkeit. Länge!
australienwein.com, 549,-

Im Duft: Süßkirsche, Aprikose, Matz, Pflaume, Minze, kaum spürbares Holz. Der Gerbstoff ist sandig, mehlig, hat Plastizität und eine Feinheit, die nicht zu mild wirkt, aber eben dennoch makellos reif und fein ist, mit viel hintergründigem Druck. Dichte und Saftigkeit gehen Hand in Hand. alles wirkt ziseliert und erweckt dennoch auch den Eindruck großer innerer Festigkeit. Länge!  

 

$500.00 per bottle


Other Vintages
2013 |  2015 |  2017 |  2018 | 
WINEMAKER
Neville Rowe
COLOUR
Red
GRAPE VARIETY
Grenache, Mourvedre, Malbec
GROWING REGION
Barossa Valley
MATURATION
18 Months in a French Oak

 

 

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