Taltarni

Taltarni Vineyards is situated in a sheltered amphitheatre in the Pyrenees Range in Victoria. For many years it was run by Bordeaux-born Dominique Portet - his father was for many years Estate Manager at Lafite-Rothschild and his brother Bernard runs Clos du Val in the Napa Valley in California.

Taltarni is Aboriginal for 'red earth' and much of the 127 hectares of vineyards is planted on this almost "terra rossa" type soil. Dominique's goal was "to make not a French wine, not just an Australian wine, but a wine that ranks with the best in the world…". Taltarni was renowned for its big, powerful, built-to-last reds. This style has eased off a little bit, with the tannins and extract less formidable than in the 70s. The wines are now made by Michael Ciavarella.