John Ellis has always had an affiliation with Riesling. His first job was at Leo Buring working under the king of Australian rieslings, John Vickery. Whilst at Yalumba, he was responsible for Pewsey Vale Riesling. He then went to the Hunter Valley to become the foundation winemaker at Rosemount Estate. There, the Rieslings and Gewurztraminers put Rosemount Estate on the map. The next move came in 1978 when he and his wife Ann Tyrrell went to Echuca to helpe stablish the Tisdall Winery. One of the best wines made there was the 1979 Mount Helen Riesling from the Strathbogie Ranges. In 2003 his cousin David Ross retired and told him that it was time to plant the vineyard that he and his wife Pauline had been dreaming of. As a result,'Tarzali Riesling' was born. 'Tarzali' is at Warrenbayne, at the northern end of the Strathbogie Ranges. The 2016 vintage was considered one of the greats across Victoria, the Tarzali vineyard was no exception. A lack of 40 degree days meant that the vines didn't have any shut down periods across the growing season. This made for an early, but clean and perfect vintage. This wine is made to age. The low sugar and good acid levels ensure the wine will age gracefully, developing toast and honey characters.
Colour: Pale- mid Straw Nose: Lemon and Citrus notes with a hint of perfume and flowers. Palate: Mouth filling burst of flavour. The lemon characteristic carries through to the palate. The texture of the wine is quite smooth and buttery but with a fantastic acid back bone, and a long finish.
