Chateau Tanunda’s grenache blend leads line-up of aged reds from Peter Lehmann, Rolf Binder and Pikes

A powerful French-styled grenache from a Barossa chateau reclaiming its glorious past leads a collection worthy of drinking now.

Improving with age: cellared reds to enjoy now.

Chateau Tanunda is the greatest comeback story in Australian wine.

Once the grandest winery in Australia, this majestic estate, featuring some of the oldest vines in the Barossa, fell into disrepair in the 1990s under the ownership of then wine goliath Southcorp.

The improbable story of its revival comes to my mind this week as Chateau Tanunda’s classic grenache-based blend features in a special aged-reds dozen hand-selected by The Australian Wine Club and offered at seriously compelling prices.

Just on the edge of the Barossa’s Tanunda township, you can see the peaked tops of a spectacular bluestone building presiding over its vineyard surrounds. Built in the 1880s, in response to Europe’s vineyards being decimated by the phylloxera plague, this new-world chateau must have seemed like a faraway fantasyland.

With French winemaker Charles Gelly leading the charge, Chateau Tanunda was an instant global hit, winning the World Intercolonial World Wine Competition only three years after operations began.

Over the decades, a who’s who of Australian wine has learnt their craft here: names like Bill Seppelt, Geoff Merrill, Grant Burge, Rockford’s Robert O’Callaghan and Yalumba’s Kevin Glastonbury.

But by 1998, when wine entrepreneur John Geber cycled past, the chateau’s past glories were well and truly in the rear-view mirror, the sprawling compound a ruin of shattered windows, broken roofs and pigeon nests.

But Geber, who was just selling his mass-market wine export brand, Kangaroo Ridge, to Foster’s, fell under its spell. He snapped up the estate within a month and has spent the past 20 years investing millions to recapture its magic.

The cellar door, lawns and the Chateau’s Grand Ballroom have all been transformed – and even a cricket ground established where international players contest charity matches.

“It’s such an awe-inspiring place that Dad obviously saw an opportunity to do something special,’’ says Geber’s daughter, Michelle Geber, who took over running Chateau Tanunda in 2018.

The estate now holds nearly 100ha of vineyards in Bethany, Eden Valley, Tanunda and Vine Vale, as well as being home to some of the Barossa’s oldest vines dating back to 1858.

Most importantly, under the hand of senior winemaker Neville Rowe, Chateau Tanunda’s wines are again being celebrated internationally. The old-fashioned ways still hold true, with the grapes being hand-picked, basket-pressed and neither fined nor filtered.

From its entry-level wines, through to its $330-a-bottle iconic Everest Shiraz (awarded the world’s best shiraz for its first vintage at the International Wine & Spirit Competition), the chateau is producing superb, rich, layered reds that live up to its glorious past.

Chateau Tanunda The Whole Dam Family Grenache Shiraz Carignan Cinsault Mourvedre 2017

A blockbuster of a wine for those who love big, rich reds bursting with flavour. Drawn from French Rhone varieties that thrive in the Barossa: grenache (28%), shiraz (21%), carignan (19%), cinsault (18%) and mourvedre (14%). Intense bouquet of strawberries, black cherries and subtle spice, with deep flavours of vanilla, cinnamon, olives and pepper. Plush and powerful. Vegan-friendly. 15% alc. RRP $40 a bottle. SPECIALS $29.99 a bottle in any dozen; $20.82 in aged-reds mixed dozen

Peter Lehmann The Antiquus Barossa Shiraz 2017

A fine example of why it’s worth waiting just a few years before drinking big-hearted Aussie shiraz. Lavish and complex, you’ll find flavours of dark plums and blueberries and hints of milk chocolate, coffee and tobacco leaf. Gold at Germany’s Mundus Vini Wine Competition 2021. 14.5% alc. RRP $44 a bottle. SPECIALS $24.99 a bottle in any dozen; $20.82 in aged-reds mixed dozen

Allegiance Wines The Artisan Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

After seven years in the cellar, please jump right in. Seductive aromas leading to classic Coonawarra cabernet flavours: dark berries, choc-mint, cedar and spice, with soft succulent tannins supporting this intense treat. 95 points from Wine Orbit; gold medals at wine shows in London, Spain and China. 14.5% alc. RRP $60 a bottle. SPECIALS $49.99 a bottle in any dozen; $20.82 in aged-reds mixed dozen

Rolf Binder Hales Barossa Valley Shiraz 2015

Shows us again the complexities that many Barossa reds reveal when given time in the cellar. Medium-bodied but full of flavour. Aromas of blueberries, violets and liquorice lift from the glass, before subtle flavours of anise, hoisin and Chinese spice emerge. Let it breathe. 13.5% alc. RRP $25 a bottle. SPECIALS $21.25 a bottle in any dozen; $20.82 in aged-reds mixed dozen

Pikes The Assemblage Shiraz Mourvedre Grenache 2018

 

Plush northern Rhone-style blend that balances sweetness and savouriness. Grenache brings mulberry and plum aromatics; shiraz delivers a powerful yet soft mid-palate; mourvedre adds a savoury five-spice edge. From Clare’s standout 2018 vintage. A “special value” red star from James Halliday. 14% alc. RRP $26 a bottle. SPECIALS $19.99 a bottle in any dozen; $20.82 in aged-reds mixed dozen

Mitchell Sevenhill Vineyard Clare Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

A dainty little number. Only 12% in alcohol, but its nose still sings of violets and subtle blue fruits, combining with varietal capsicum notes. Grippy tannins lie ready to meet a tasty osso bucco or slowly cooked lamb ragu. Enjoy now. RRP $30 a bottle. SPECIALS $25.50 a bottle in any dozen; $20.82 in aged-reds mixed dozen

MIXED DOZEN DEAL Two bottles of each aged red: $20.82 a bottle

Order online or telephone [phone] Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm AEST. Deals only available while stocks last. The Australian Wine Club is a commercial partnership with Laithwaites Wine.