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Talomas Winery Profile
"Talomas wines represent an unorthodox approach to winemaking
in California… creating a complex stylistic wine,"
says Philip Shaw, company winemaker for Southcorp Wines, owner
of Rosemount Estate, about his dual-hemisphere collaboration
with Ian Shepherd and Tim Mondavi. The Robert Mondavi and
Rosemount Estate partnership, which was founded in 2000, has
appointed the Australian-born Ian Shepherd as the winemaker
to produce wines in California and in Australia.
The
California wines of the venture are named Talomas, after an
indigenous Californian word meaning "wildcats,"
while the wines made is Australia carry the name Kirralaa,
an Australian Aboriginal word meaning "star." The
Talomas wines showcase the Australian philosophy of cross-varietal
and cross-regional blending as applied to Robert Mondavi's
vineyards. The partnership crafts its Talomas wines by aggressively
farming vineyard estates to enhance and concentrate flavor,
by cross blending base wines to express enhanced multi-regional
complexity and finally by blending different varietals. Initially,
the Talomas range will comprise a Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah,
and the abovementioned Cabernet Sauvigon/Merlot, followed
by a Chardonnay/Viognier in July 2003. Talomas California
Wines showcase the venture's array of diverse, pristine and
low-yielding vineyard estates, which span California's microclimates
(from Mendocino, Napa, and Sonoma through to Monterey, Paso
Robles and Santa Barbara). Traditional notions of "single
varietals" are eschewed in favor of multi-regional and
multi-varietal blends.
Talomas
and Kirralaa wines are the culmination of a 30-year dream
for Robert Mondavi, who has long recognized that Australia's
diverse regions and climate held great winemaking potential.
Address: Southcorp Wines,
2700 Napa Valley Corporate Dr.,
Napa, CA. 94558
Phone: 707-258-8755
2000
Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot
Varietal/Style: 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27%
Merlot
Origin: California
Vintage: 2000
Winemaker: Ian Shepherd (Tim Mondavi and Philip
Shaw)
Rating: 14/20
Retail Price: $15
Tasting
Notes: Careful vineyard lot selection
and winemaking expertise have crafted a wine with beautiful
color, good body and moderate tannin levels. Red berries greet
you joyfully, followed by chocolate and a hint of mint. Very
pleasant in the mouth, with a smooth and progressive finish.
Careful use of wood lets the grapes express themselves. At
$15 a bottle, you could be doing much worse. (Date tasted:
03/07/03) |
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