Taylors Wines unveiled its inaugural Family Flagship Release this week, a collection of the Taylor family’s top wines in its portfolio, including the second vintage release of Taylors pinnacle wine The Legacy.

The wines were presented at a special degustation dinner event at The Calyx, within the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, with guests including celebrity chef Guy Turland, presenter Merrick Watts, model Samantha Harris and a horde of wine lovers including Drinks Digest.

Founded in 1969, Taylors Wines has a 50-year history of investing in world-class innovation in the vineyard and winery, and pushing boundaries with every wine they produce.

“The Clare is a hidden gem of the Australian wine scene – my grandfather knew it all those years ago when he first
founded our family winery,” third-generation winemaker and Managing Director Mitchell Taylor said.

“It’s inspiring to see how far our winery has come since my grandfather first set foot in the Clare Valley to start our family on this incredible journey. From our first Estate wines in the early 70s to now releasing a collection of wines that showcase the depth and diversity of our winemaking skill – it’s a humbling and exciting experience.”

Adding to the sense of occasion at the launch event was a performance by violinist Yena Choi, while Taylors chief winemaker Adam Eggins, who has been with the winery for more than two decades, took the audience on a remarkable journey through his philosophy behind the creation of the wines in the Family Flagship Release.

The ten wines in the inaugural Family Flagship Release represent five vintages. Most of the wines feature Clare Valley fruit, grown on the family’s Estate, with additional fruit from the Coonawarra and McLaren Vale sourced for the new release Masterstroke collection.

The red wines in the Family Flagship Release exude the powerful elegance Taylors wines are noted for and have great potential for long-term cellaring.

The whites display the bright, sunny ripeness and concentrated flavour for which the Clare Valley is renowned.

The Legacy 2015, the second vintage release of Taylors pinnacle wine, celebrates the family winery’s founding purpose – to craft a New World wine that could stand tall against the iconic wines of the Old World.

“The fruit from the 2015 vintage was exceptional – in both yield and quality. Cabernet enjoyed an extended time on vine during this vintage, resulting in a beautiful harmony of acid structure and fruit concentration,” Taylor said.

“The journey of building each part of this wine is incredibly fulfilling. From there, it’s a test of patience while the wine matures in a selection of exceptionally rare barrels from Jean Louis Vicard,” Taylor said.

The old-world-inspired blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc for The Legacy was described by Taylors a masterclass in wine ‘completeness’ by Eggins, with the wine maturing in some of the finest French oak barrels available anywhere in the world.

The release date of 20 July is highly symbolic for the Taylor family. Not only was it the same day more than 50 years ago that two American astronauts landed on the moon, but it was the day Bill Taylor first stepped onto the rich terra rossa soils of what was to become their Clare Valley Estate.

It was a remarkable experience to sip The Legacy, which retails at $1000 a bottle, in the stunning surrounds of The Calyx. A truly memorable night.

For more information about the Family Flagship Release, visit www.taylorswines.com.au.