Tournon Mathilda Shiraz 2010
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Robert
Parker
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
These Chapoutier wines are sometimes reviewed by my colleagues David Schildknect in his Languedoc-Roussillon report and Lisa Perrotti-Brown in her reviews of Australian wines, so I will just list the wines, my score, and the region from which they emerge. They are of very high quality and deserve readers’ attention. Hopefully my prose has convinced more than a handful of readers to try these remarkable wines from one of the most fascinating and compelling personalities in the entire wine world, and one dedicated to the highest quality.
Other Vintages
2014-
James
Suckling
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Wine
Spectator
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Wine
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Robert
Parker
In 2009 Michel Chapoutier purchased two Australian vineyards: Shays Flat Estate and Landsborough Valley Estate in the Victorian Pyrenees. He recognized that the cool weather patterns and remarkable diversity of soil and exposures in this region would allow him to make distinctive wines from the Syrah/Shiraz grape of his homeland, utilizing his biodynamic winegrowing philosophy.
A southern extension of the Great Dividing Range, the Victorian Pyrenees foothills and ranges create a remarkable diversity of microclimates and soils that provide a wealth of variety for winemakers. The vineyards consist of ancient soils and exposures, resulting in low cropping vines ideal for intensely flavorful wines. Soils range from highly draining quartz laden to red ferruginous schist, shale, and clay. The vineyards are farmed with a focus on maintaining a good balance with the natural environment, while working where necessary and appropriate to improve soil and vineyards conditions. Named after the Hermitage commune, Tournon leads the movement in Australia towards elegant, balanced wines. The philosophy centers on respect – respect for the terroir, the fruit, and the consumer. The focus is on maintaining good balance in the vineyard’s natural environment while working where appropriate and necessary to improve soil and vineyard conditions. The same dedication is given to the entry-level wines as is given to the more prestigious ones.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Nestled into the tip of its southeastern coastline, Victoria is Australia’s smallest mainland state, second most populous and third largest wine producer. Victoria includes the cool regions of Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula and Geelong, made famous mainly by impressive Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The more inland Heathcote and Bendigo lead the way for complex and textured, full-bodied reds. Rutherglen’s fortified wines compete among the best on the planet.