Tatiarra Culled Barrel Shiraz 2015

The Tatiarra Vineyard, located in the Heathcote region, was established in the early 1990s and consists of 10 acres of low cropping shiraz vines. Although the Culled Barrel Shiraz is produced from barrels that fail to make the grade for the flagship wines, the quality is still extremely high and offers the best value of the three Tatiara Shirazes. 

"Another wonderful wine under the 'Culled Barrel' label, but sadly the last vintage produced before the winery was sold. Like the magnificent 2013 vintage, a decadent and hedonistic wine with a massive core of rich fruit. Tremendous value in the Heathcote landscape."  Nick Munday

"Tatiarra's Heathcote Vineyard occupies a unique parcel of earth. Around 500,000,000 years ago, natural forces, moulding the world, hardened the planet's surface forming Cambrian rock. Today, that rock exists as a discontinuous band of red earth, extending from the Heathcote township and running north past Colbinabbin, parallel to the Mount Camel range. The Tatiarra Vineyard is sustained by this band of soil derived from this ancient Cambrian rock in which Shiraz vines thrive, producing fruit of incomparable quality and wines of matchless character. The resulting wines are perfectly balanced, possessing tremendous exuberance and are capable of long term cellar development.

2015 Culled Barrel Shiraz: This 'near perfect' reject is the result of Tatiarra's ruthless pursuit of perfection with winemakers Ben Riggs and Peter Flewellyn culling any barrels that are not up to the lofty standards of the Estate's top labels. In order to achieve the extraordinary quality of Tatiarra's flagship wines (Cambrian and Caravan of Dreams), each barrel from each vintage is tasted and classified. Any barrels, that for whatever reason, fail to improve the flagship wines are culled."  Tatiarra

Expert reviews

"Another wonderful wine under the 'Culled Barrel' label, but sadly the last vintage produced before the winery was sold. Like the magnificent 2013 vintage, a decadent and hedonistic wine with a massive core of rich fruit. Tremendous value in the Heathcote landscape."  Nick Munday, Canterbury Wines - 94 points

About the winery

The Tatiarra Vineyard is located in the Heathcote region and was established by Bill Hepburn in the early 1990s and consisted of 10 acres of low cropping shiraz vines. Tatiarra is an Aboriginal word meaning 'beautiful country'. Bill lived out of a trailer on the property, not far from a large gum tree under which he built a thunderbox - thus the inspiration for Tatiarra's flagship wine, the 'Caravan of Dreams'. Tired of the long cold nights, Bill sold the property to a group of investors. The property grew in acreage and now occupies 143 acres entirely planted to shiraz. The company's obsession is not to be the biggest, but rather one of the best Shiraz producers in the world.

Tatiarra's north-facing vineyards are located on the western side of Mount Camel and lie on the famed red Cambrian soil. The wines are made by renowned winemaker Ben Riggs, who commutes from McLaren Vale to Scotchmans Hill winery in Geelong to make the wines. The wines are powerful with a monumental structure and richness.