The Auswine Forum

Tasting Note No.28

I've visited this cellar door for the first time. Remarkably professional operation with enthusiastic staff and an absolutely beautiful new building that for me resembles an old and rustic Tuscan estate. Talented winemaker Dan Dineen worked for Mount Pleasant and Brokenwood before joining Tower. The founder and chairman of the estate is Len Evans AO,OBE.
To keep with tradition and the romance of the cork, Tower Estate does not (and will not) use the screwcap for their wines, instead they opted for expensive and very high quality, hand selected spanish corks.

This Hunter Shiraz was bottled in November. Colour medium red, the nose is already fragrant, oozing those classic Hunter aromas and scents of savoury, earthy fruits and undergrowth. The palate is packed with velvety cherry and plum fruit backed by well judged grainy oak. Superbly balanced, there is fine acid on the finish. This medium bodied lovely Hunter red will age for 8 years at least. It is smooth with underlying power tasting very harmonious. I've enjoyed it a lot, very very good. Cost AU $38 cellar door but if you are one of the Tower 200 (there are only two hundred people in this) club members, you pay $30.40 which is a more attractive price. Outside the club you need to pay the $38 as you won't have much choice. Apparently the Tower wines are rarely available in retail stores.

also tasted but not reviewed here in detail:

2003 TOWER ESTATE Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc- fruit sourced from Shaw&Smith. Fragrant, delicious sauvignon blanc, light and aromatic, a lovely drink at AU $32.
2003 TOWER ESTATE Clare Valley Riesling- fruit sourced from Judds Hill. Fantastic floral nose, silky, zesty palate, cleansing acidity on the finish. A refreshing wine for AU $26.
2002 TOWER ESTATE Hunter Valley Chardonnay -not much excitement here. An O.K. drink but lacking in power or character. AU$28
2002 TOWER ESTATE Orange Sangiovese -fruit sourced from Jim Crossing. Exciting, vibrant stuff. Dan Dineen captured the sweet fruity essence of the variety. An absolute delight. AU $27.
2002 TOWER ESTATE Orange Barbera -an opportunity lost here. A lighter style wine, lacking in power and length, the trademark, slightly bitter finish of the variety is missing. Commercial style, they should have made a better wine of this.

Tasted:January 2004

Great Note Attila,

The founder and chairman of the estate is Len Evans AO,OBE.
To keep with tradition and the romance of the cork, Tower Estate does not (and will not) use the screwcap for their wines, instead they opted for expensive and very high quality, hand selected spanish corks.

As a point of declaration the founder and chairman of the estate, Len Evans AO,OBE, is a paid ambassador for the cork industry.

Cullen is another winery that uses the Spanish Corks along with their bottlings in screwcap.

I had no idea that there was another option for corks, never really thought about it to tell you the truth.

Do any other producers use Spanish corks that you're aware of?

DaveL wrote:I had no idea that there was another option for corks, never really thought about it to tell you the truth.

Do any other producers use Spanish corks that you're aware of?

Mount Mary said they were when I was at CD this December.
GW