2018 Château Tanunda 100 Year‑Old Vines Shiraz – Barossa Valley / Eden Valley, SA

The Barossa is home to some of the world’s oldest ungrafted Shiraz vines. The vines were planted in a pre-mechanized and pre-irrigation era where site selection was everything. Dry grown as bush vines with only the best soils, vine material and sites surviving the first years, and only the absolute pinnacle surviving the 100 years thereafter.

The low-yielding ‘Centenarian’ vines, noted for their intensity of flavour, were planted more than a century ago around the time construction of the Château itself began.

The wine has an aroma of dense dark berries, blackberry, mulberry — layered with dark chocolate, roasted chestnut, pipe tobacco, and cedar. Hints of liquorice, all‑spice, and plum add complexity. 

On the palate, it’s rich, velvety, and powerful, with saturated black fruit (blackberry, black cherry), savory undercurrents, and spice. Fine‑grained, chalky tannins provide strong structure, balanced by integrated French oak.

The finish is long and persistent, with hints of bittersweet chocolate, pan-forte, and a touch of cedar. 

Overall
A deeply serious, age-worthy Shiraz that marries the power of old Barossa vines with the elegance of Eden Valley, built to cellar but already showing compelling richness. Drink from 2024 to 2035, with potential to go longer.