We’re ecstatic about Tabalí here at the ‘Fo. It’s the first time their wines have been in Australia (as far as we know). Their chardonnay was the initial attention grabber (trust me when I say that South America is doing some incredible stuff with chardy right now) but once we tasted the entire range, we were smitten. They have three main vineyards spanning the width of the narrow country of Chile. Talinay is their tiny coastal vineyard and the source of chardonnay and pinot noir that sits amongst the best in the world. Dom is in the Maipo Valley and a great location for elegant and cellarworthy cabernet. Finally there’s Río Hurtado, situated at 1600 metres as you head up the Andes. From this vineyard comes malbec, although made famous in Argentina, sees some of the best yields from this plot in Chile.
And here it is, the Dom. Perhaps not the most famous Dom in wine, but certainly one worthy of global attention. It comes from the eponymous vineyard in the Maipo Valley, but only two hectares of the full 80 hectares are used for this bottling. The south-facing vineyard is rather cool in the summer compared to others, which promotes slow ripening and an intricately-detailed flavour profile. The nutrient-poor soil (which sounds counterintuitive, but it’s actually ideal) limits the vigour of the vines, resulting in low-yielding high-quality fruit with incredible concentration. You’ll find layer after layer of flavour in Dom, showcasing cassis, rhubarb, baking spices, dark chocolate and graphite. Let the wine breath for a couple of hours and it gets even more enticing. This is without a doubt the best South American cabernet we’ve seen here at the ‘Fo, and we’d confidently put it side by side with the world’s best in a tasting.
