Winemaker Notes
A spicy Shiraz from the vineyards of Central Victoria brightens with a boost of Viognier for aroma and balance, as often practiced in France's most highly regarded appellation of the Northern Rhône Valley, Côte Rôtie. The grapes grown in this Austrialian vineyard were planted on 19th century French rootstocks, another nod to the French tradition and influence in this new world wine. This wine is a collaborative effort between two renowned wine families; Chapoutier from the Rhône Valley in France, and the Terlato family of Napa Valley in California.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
The 2013 Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier Shiraz-Viognier is a true standout red wine that took me by surprise. A most unusual Aussie effort, this wine combined the efforts of two distinctly different mind sets. Who would have thought that the French and the Aussies could create magic in a bottle? This Franco-Australian teamwork has resulted in a red wine of really fine complexity and style. Medium red, ruby color; pleasing red fruit aroma, fine depth; medium bodied, well layered on the palate, but not fat or cumbersome, really fine structure, dry, fine acidity, well balanced; zesty, red fruit flavors, lively and bright finish. (January 8, 2016, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Spectator
Fresh and expressive, medium-weight but vivid, with black cherry and floral notes, balanced by a stony minerality that glides into the long finish against fine tannins. Drink now through 2020.
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.