TSCHARKE
CURRENT RELEASES

2021 GNADENFREI RED I (GSM)

96 POINTS - “A blend of 42/30/28% grenache/mourvèdre/shiraz sourced from the Gnadenfrei south vineyard in Marananga; matured for 12 months in a French foudre & a single terracotta amphora. Bright, light crimson in the glass with pure notes of juicy plum, cranberry & raspberry coulis dotted with Asian spices, pressed flowers, sous bois, gingerbread & earth. The tannins simmer away in the background with a sense of latent power & the fruit purity & flow are spot-on as the wine floats off to an extended encore. Terrific stuff.”
Dave Brookes, HALLIDAY, Jun ‘23

2021 GNADENFREI RED II (MSG)

95 POINTS - “We're at the pointy end of the Tscharke offering here. A blend of 65/20/15% mourvèdre/shiraz/grenache from the Gnadenfrei south vineyard; some whole bunches & aged for 14 months in French oak foudre. Crimson in the glass with a purple flash. Notes of plum & blackberry cut through with spice, chocolate, violets, roasting meats, herbs & warm earth. Impressive fruit weight & purity here, a tight, compact tannin framework & shimmering acidity that propels the wine forward to a bright, spicy red/dark fruited finish.”
Dave Brookes, HALLIDAY, Jun ‘23

2021 GNADENFREI WHITE

95 POINTS - “It gladdens my heart to see examples of grenache blanc popping up & this one, sourced from Marananga & the western Barossa, is a beauty. It sees nine months' maturation in two terracotta amphorae on full lees, & those characters are on display with notes of clotted cream & curd appearing amongst the white peach, pear & citrus notes. Hints of soft spice, white flowers, white tea & almond paste. A lovely, textural wine with a vital, lemony acid tail & a white-fruited, creamy flow on the exit. Great stuff.”
Dave Brookes, HALLIDAY, Aug ‘23

2020 GNADENFREI WHITE

94 POINTS - “Certified organic. Grenache blanc. Big ask at the price, sure, but the wine is good. There’s a little development here & that’s a good thing; it’s inherently tense but there’s just enough relaxation for the flavours to spread. It tastes of lemon curd & pears, slate & honeysuckle, apple & something deeper/darker, like fennel or blackcurrant bud, that kind of thing. There’s lots going on in any case. It’s textural but it’s not creamy; it has an in-built polish. I commonly use white wine as a gateway to red but I’d be happy to sit on this wine for an evening.”
Campbell Mattinson, WINEFRONT, Dec ‘23

2021 STONE WELL SINGLE VINEYARD GRENACHE

95 POINTS - “Stone Well-sourced grenache, destemmed & aged in terracotta amphorae for 13 months. Light crimson in the glass with notes of ripe plum, raspberry & cranberries set on a canvas of gingery spice, red licorice, earth, cola & purple flowers. There is a lovely flow of spiced, plummy fruit on the palate that's pure & true. Superfine sandy tannins & a bright yet stony line of acidity drive the wine forward. This will take a light chill if the weather dictates such actions.”
Dave Brookes, HALLIDAY, Aug ‘23

2022 STONE WELL SINGLE VINEYARD GRENACHE

95 POINTS - “Damien Tscharke has always done grenache well. Kind of under-the-radar well. It's kind of cool because you taste it & it seems as though you've stumbled upon a secret. Single-vineyard. Stone Well subregion. Diaphanous, airy & detailed, sporting a pinot-like gaze in the glass. Complex & spicy, things flit in & out of view, fine graphitey tannins & a mineral cadence, both structural & provoking tension. Just great drinking.”
Dave Brookes, HALLIDAY, Jun ‘24

93 POINTS - “This is good. It’s both pure & complex. It’s a lovely mix of tonic-like herbs & sweet red berried fruit, neither side dominating, harmony the real winner. Orange blossom highlights & asphalt bass notes play their roles but sweet berries & herbs are the main game. There’s some warmth, but it’s doesn’t detract, or distract. Lovely aromas & flavours here.”
Campbell Mattinson, WINEFRONT, Dec ‘23

2021 STONE WELL SINGLE VINEYARD SHIRAZ

94 POINTS - “Single-vineyard Barossa shiraz from the Stone Well subregion; 25% whole bunches matured in a combination of new French oak foudres & seasoned barrels for 15 months. Crimson with purple flashes in the glass. Super fragrant & lifted with oodles of bunchy spice fluttering above the pure plum, black cherry & blackberry fruits. There's an exotic element here, with Asian spices, maybe a waft of washed rind cheese & amaro herbs along with licorice, chocolate, earth & purple floral notes. Spacious & pure on the palate with grippy kinetic tannins & a distinctly moreish vibe.”
Dave Brookes, HALLIDAY, Aug ‘23

2022 ‘ELEMENTS’ GSM

93 POINTS - “The mighty Barossa GSM, some subtle bunchy gear in the mix with an enticing nose of blueberry, satsuma plum & red cherry fruits with some top notes of raspberry coulis. There is a creamy aspect to this wine that I love. Berry cream. Jasmine & ginger spice too, with touches of cola & earth. The tannins & acidity are chalky & fine, & the wine slowly retreats with harmonious aplomb.‘
Dave Brookes, HALLIDAY, Jan ‘24

92 POINTS - “Sweet fruit-and-herb flavour with a burst of licorice through the back half, which is good in itself, though the spread of the (warm) finish makes it even better again. All things considered, this is one of the stand-outs of the Tscharke range. Its alcohol shows but for flavour & for length this is very good.”
Campbell Mattinson, WINEFRONT, Dec ‘23

2022 ‘A THING OF BEAUTY’ GRENACHE

93 POINTS - “Marananga-sourced grenache … pretty close to the border of where the dialect changes & the old-timers call the grape 'Greeeeeen-ash'. A gentle ruby in the glass. It's a pretty-smelling little thing. All cherries & wild strawberry. Raspberry too, with hints of citrus blossom, gingerbread, rose petals, exotic spice, charcuterie, earth & distant glimpses of sarsaparilla. Airy & spacious with lots of detail, a vivid minerally tension & a chalky, savoury sour cherry sheen to its passing.‘
Dave Brookes, HALLIDAY, Jan ‘24

2022 SHIRAZ SHIRAZ SHIRAZ

92 POINTS - “Three times the shiraz in the one bottle! Not exactly. Three different Marananga vineyards from three different generations. That's very cool indeed. Super-juicy fruits of plum, boysenberry & blueberry with layers of spice, earth, purple flowers & some distant dried herbs. Pure & medium bodied, tannins super powdery & some nice crunch to the acid profile, finishing blue-fruited & endearing.‘
Dave Brookes, HALLIDAY, Jan ‘24

90 POINTS - “Straight down the line, flavour & form. Blackberry jam & asphalt, boysenberry & cooling herbs. It’s a good mouthful of warm flavour, gently baked perhaps but with fresh, sweet fruit still intact, & the mainstay. Oak is a minor player, with toast & clove notes presented as whispers at most.”
Campbell Mattinson, WINEFRONT, Dec ‘23

2022 GRENACHE ROSE

92 POINTS - “A delicious grenache rosé from Marananga-sourced fruit. Pale salmon in the glass with notes of redcurrant, raspberry & crunchy red apple with hints of marzipan, almond blossom, crushed stone, soft spice & mandarin rind. There is a nice textural component to this wine as it slinks its way across the palate, finishing crisp & clean with a swell of red fruits & crunchy apple.‘
Dave Brookes, HALLIDAY, Mar ‘23

PREVIOUS RELEASES

2021 ‘A THING OF BEAUTY’ GRENACHE

🏆TROPHY - Best Chillable Red, Australian Organic Wine Awards 2023

93 POINTS - “sourced from Marananga in the west of the Barossa. A portion of the fruit is destemmed & fermented cool for aromatics, the remainder destemmed & crushed on top of its stalks in concrete fermenters, matured in terracotta amphorae for 8 mths. Airy, diaphanous & beautifully perfumed with spicy red plum, redcurrant & raspberry notes that mesh with Asian spice, blossom, red licorice & gingerbread. Just lovely drinking with plenty of detail & clarity. Don't be afraid to pop this one in the fridge to take the edge off‘
Dave Brookes, HALLIDAY, Mar ‘23

2021 ‘ELEMENTS’

94 POINTS - “37/33/30% mourvèdre/shiraz/grenache from the Tscharke Gnadenfrei vineyard in Marananga. A bit of stalk & whole bunches in the grenache & mourvèdre components; & matured in barrels & terracotta amphorae. A translucent crimson in the glass hints at the wine’s spacious, airy mouthfeel, with red cherry, raspberry & plum notes framed by spice, florals & bright, briny acidity. The tannin is there for support & fades back into the fruit, the wine exiting with a savoury palate shape & a vapour trail of ginger-spiced red fruits.‘
Dave Brookes, HALLIDAY, Jun ‘23

2021 SHIRAZ SHIRAZ SHIRAZ

92 POINTS - “Three times the shiraz? Three different clones of shiraz? Nope. A blend of three different Marananga shiraz vineyards from three generations, destemmed & matured for 12 months in a selection of French barrels (10% new) & 6600L French vats. Crimson in the glass with notes of vibrant ripe plums, blueberry & boysenberries along with hints of baking spices, dark chocolate, earth, pressed purple flowers & licorice. Sleek & slinky with fine, powdery tannins & a swift acid backbeat.”
Dave Brookes, HALLIDAY, May ‘23