This was an interesting tasting. Tarrawatta is under the same ownership as Sloan in Napa and Pomerol’s Bon Pasteur.
I cut my teeth on high end Australian wines and it was great to get back into some today.
Ambervale Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Juicy and bright Cabernet berry fruit with a ripeness and dusty quality that’s almost Rutherford-esque. Tight, quite floral and with notes of liquorice with a firm and grainy tannin profile that echoes the aromatic qualities. There’s an aspect of headiness on the palate but the 14.9% alcohol is well held and it has a fundamentally savoury character with no excess sweetness. There’s no lack of intensity but it’s also pretty linear at this stage. There are notes of bitter chocolate, and a cocoa powder quality to the tannins, and it finishes with that crucial note of bitterness and salinity. Impressively, the oak feels entirely subsumed here.
92/100
Ambervale Shiraz 2019
What I really admire and enjoy here is the savouriness that frames the entire wine. It has the violets and tapenade characters of something almost European but a breadth and volume that’s solidly Australian. New oak doesn’t really impact the aromas but does add a lick of sweetness to the palate and a glossiness to the texture. Seamless and polished, this is dry and powerful but also fragrant and lifted in its fruit profile. Lots of potential for a couple of decades here. Very impressive and very grown up. It becomes meatier and spicier in the glass and the tannins have a tightly-grained and saline quality.
94/100
Godswalk 2018
Shiraz / Cabernet blend that’s a barrel selection of the best in the cellar. The aromas are quite taciturn and insular, showing just a hint of toasty oak. Showing the house style, though, this majors on structure and tight, saline tannins. There’s a mid-palate sweetness that’s entirely fruit-derived. Again, juicy and bright. Less floral than the other but with no lack of lift or crunch. A touch of liquorice and spice. Here the tannins are silky, although still with that briney note. Long and mouth-watering. Has cassis and pepper on the finish. I find this slightly hard to read but the balance is undeniable - whilst big-boned, everything is in harmony.
93/100
I reckon these guys are getting it right and are worth watching. There are elements of the big and the bold but they’re also structural and savoury.
Would be interested in Jeremy’s views as he might be one of the few on here to have tasted??
Cheers,
Matthew