2015
"Deep, dark and foreboding in the glass, lovely colour. Aromatics of plums, mulberries, chocolate, vanilla and a bit of cedar and tobacco, there's a lot going on here. The palate is all deep, dark and not so mysterious. There's blackberry, mulberry, blackcurrant, you name a dark fruit, it's lurking here somewhere. Then there's a briary, brambly, spice aspect that adds a bit of exotica and then the tannin kicks in to make sure that the wine has true definition, purpose and a raison d'être. A big-time cabernet that doesn't pull any punches. Throw into a decanter, shake it up and give it plenty of air now or stick it away for 15 to 20 years." - Real Review
"This wine is complex and tightly structured, made to cellar with confidence. The Balnaves family see the wine “The Tally” as the ultimate achievement for their company.
Deep rich red in colour, the nose is perfumed with perfectly ripened dark blackberry, mulberry and cassis fruit, and fine vanillan/coffee bean French oak. The palate is rich with fleshy cassis and blackberry fruit. The finish is long and textured with fine grainy grape tannins. This wine is complex and tightly structured and made to cellar with confidence. We recommend decanting before drinking." - Balnaves
2018
96 POINTS! - HALLIDAY
"Deep red in colour, the nose has fine lifted red and black fruits, spice and some forest floor leady notes adding complexity. The palate is medium bodied with complex black fruits and a fine tannin structure lending a long supple finish. An elegant expression of a single ferment.
Vintage 2018 was warm and relatively early, with dry conditions and well-matured tannins allowing for wines to be left on skins for extended maceration. Cabernet Sauvignon from the Dead Morris vineyard (92%) was hand-picked and co-fermented with Petit Verdot (8%). Following a 10 day ferment, the Tally had an extended maceration of 16 days on skins before pressing to oak. Matured for 15 months in very fine grain French barriques (40% new)." - Balnaves
2021
98 POINTS! - HALLIDAY
Among his many pursuits, Doug Balnaves was a shearer of Merino sheep. A shearer in Australia, is paid by the number of sheep he shears. Counted every two-hour period, the Tally is recorded in the Tally book. The higher the Tally, the greater the recognition among his peers for skill and hard work. As an expression of this tradition, the Balnaves family see the wine ‘THE TALLY’ as the ultimate achievement for their company. 2021 was an outstanding vintage, with long and even ripening period ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon. On the 12th of April, Cabernet Sauvignon from out Dead Morris vineyard (91%) was hand-picked and co-fermented with 9% Petit Verdot, with an extended maceration on skins for 30 days. The wine was then matured for 13 months in 39% new fine grain Taransaud French oak barriques. Intense aromas of cassis, blackberries and blueberries carry through onto the palate, this dense dark fruit integrates with velvet tannins and smoky coffee oak. A complex and layered wine with great length, 2021 was a superb vintage reminiscent of 2004 and 2001. - Balnaves
