Taylors will release its 2024 Family Flagship Release, a selection of its finest wines, on 21 July, the anniversary of its ‘founding day’.

Taylors Wines was founded by Bill Taylor Sr. and his sons, Bill and John in 1969. Hoteliers at the time, the three Taylors noticed a growing appetite for premium quality table wines in their venues. Inspired by the great winemakers of Bordeaux, Bill and his two sons set about finding the perfect plot of land to set up their own winery.

On 21 July 1969, the day following Neil Armstrong taking his first steps on the moon, Bill Taylor set foot on the Taylor family estate in the Clare Valley.

Fifty-five years later, the Family Flagship Release features 11 wines and for the first time, includes a museum release St Andrews Riesling 2020 in the collection.

The collection encapsulates six vintages across four of Taylors top ranges, with wines spanning from the 2017 vintage to the most recent 2024 vintage.

The 2024 Family Flagship Release includes three of Taylors’ pinnacle wines, each distinctly named to honour Taylors’ founding purpose and individuals who have left an indelible mark on the family winery.

These wines are The Pioneer Shiraz 2018 ($225) – named in honour of the pioneering spirit of Bill Taylor from the second generation of the business; The Visionary Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 ($225) – named in honour of Taylors founder and visionary Bill Taylor Sr.; and finally The Legacy 2017 ($1000), a wine crafted to embody the founding vision and the enduring family journey behind Taylors Wines.

New vintages from Taylors Masterstroke and St Andrews ranges round out the entire Family Flagship Release collection.

“Each vintage in our 2024 Family Flagship Release tells its own unique story and continues to push the boundaries for what our winery can achieve in crafting fine wine,” said Taylors Chief Winemaker Adam Eggins.

“The spread of vintages and the selection of varieties showcased in this release is a capsule collection of what Taylors has been known and celebrated for more than 50 years. I’m incredibly proud to share the 2024 Family Flagship Release and look forward to sharing these wines with wine lovers worldwide.”

“The Family Flagship release not only demonstrates our ability to craft wines of the highest quality but also symbolises our commitment to setting new benchmarks for our winery for generations to come. As a family business, it’s important we protect my grandfather and father’s visions but also set new standards for the next generation to strive towards. These wines are the embodiment of that philosophy,” said Managing Director Mitchell Taylor.

Tasting the latest Family Flagship wines

Drinks Digest attended at tasting of Taylors new Family Flagship Release wines at Charlotte restaurant in McMahon’s Point, alongside Managing Director Mitchell Taylor and his son Hugh, with Chief Winemaker Adam Eggins guiding the masterclass.

A highlight among the whites was St Andrews Clare Valley Chardonnay 2022 ($45), which has already won four trophies at wine shows around the world. It is an elegant wine with the perfect balance of oak after being 100% fermented in French oak, then matured in 80% new and 20% one-year-old French oak, sourced from specialist Burgundian supplier Louis Latour, for 14 months prior to bottling.

The Chardonnay was exquisitely match with Smoked trout cannolo, pomelo and chives; and a spanner crab tartlette with celeriac and lime.

The reds were a swoon-worthy collection that hit multiple high notes. The St Andrews Clare Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 ($75) had a delicious palate with ripe blackcurrant and cassis characters, while The Pioneer Shiraz 2018 ($220) brought blueberry, raspberry and plum fruit flavours with added complexity from using French oak for the first time.

The Legacy 2017 ($1000) was an unforgettable finale, with its intense dark berries, nuts, and spice, complemented by the richness that 36 months of maturation in exceptionally rare, fine-grained French oak provides. It was masterfully paired with Lamb cutlets, Jerusalem artichoke, potato rosti, black garlic and red wine jus.

The collection will be available from 21 July from select fine wine retailers, Taylors Clare Valley cellar door, and online from www.taylorswines.com.au.

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