Chapoutier Domaine Tournon Mathilda · 2022

In 1997, Michel Chapoutier's pioneering spirit prompted this renowned Rhône producer to set off for Australia, attracted by the high quality of the Shiraz grapes that were growing there, and he found what he was looking for: an exceptional terroir, in the Victorian Pyrenees region, where he established his Domaine Tournon, with two vineyards: the Shays Flat Estate and the Landsborough Valley Estate. For the production of his Tournon Mathilda, Chapoutier harvests the grapes at exactly the right point of maturity, avoiding any over-ripeness. After destemming, the clusters ferment in steel and concrete tanks, while macerating for two to three weeks to ensure a good extraction of tannins. The wine rests in the same containers for twelve months before bottling. The result? A wine with Australian maturity and French savoir-faire: of low to medium density and a bright cherry/ruby colour, a very fresh, profound and balsamic nose, with a predominance of black fruit, peppers and scrub, and a silky, medium-bodied palate that's mature, juicy, floral and delicately spicy, with suggestions of tar and liquorice. As regards mouthfeel, the Tournon Mathilda is pleasantly rough, earthy, mellowed by hints of jam, and with good acidity that takes it through from start to finish. Very well measured oak, with toasty nuances.