Planted by my Grandfather in 1965, the Tscharke Seppeltsfield Vineyard’s old weathered Grenache vines and ancient clay and quartz soils combine to produce this outstanding wine that showcases the Barossa Valley.
Vibrant ruby red colour, deep to the core, this is superbly structured wine. Intense aromas of spice with red berries and cassis integrate perfectly with subtle French oak. The multilayered palate is opulent with rich velvety tannins that encapsulate a generosity of spice and lush tasty fruit. A simply delicious accompaniment for char grilled chicken with a roast capsicum and black olive salsa.
The fruit is crushed and fermented in open top fermenters. Heading down boards were used to submerge the cap to ensure maximum extraction of tannins and colour. Fermentation was followed by four weeks of extended maceration before being basket pressed and racked to barrel for maturation and secondary malolactic fermentation.
2006 was a great vintage, with the weather conditions near perfect. Good rainfall late in winter and early spring gave the vineyards a superb start to the season followed by ideal day and night temperatures for fruit ripening. It was great to be able to delay harvesting to achieve optimum tannin ripeness.
Typlically fleshy and delicately perfumed, this is a light and airy wine in one sense from old vines tended by Damien Tscharke's family, though underlying oak, and excellent spiced grapey flavours give it real presence.
