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The Great Shiraz Tasting.............continued.......
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Enthusiasts may argue which variety or style of wine is Australia’s greatest, however if price is used as a guide, Shiraz wins hand down. A cursory search I recently conducted found over 50 Australian Shiraz retailing for over $100. Peter Lehman, the iconic wine producer from the Barossa Valley and guest speaker at our 1998 vintage Great Shiraz Tasting, once quoted, “When God invented Shiraz, he had the Barossa Valley in mind”. I think that he was fairly close to the mark. The Barossa is responsible for vast quantities of rich, densely flavoured Shiraz, which can dominate examples from other premium Australian, European and New World regions with their power and opulence. The purpose of the Peel tasting, however, is to appreciate the different characteristics of a diverse range of regions, vineyards, climates, soil types and winemaking practices. The Barossa Valley, as in previous years, was well represented with Yalumba’s Octavius and the Torbreck Run Rig, along with Penfolds Grange and Wolf Blass Platinum Label, both of which incorporate grapes from nearby regions. The fruit for these iconic wines, along with most South Australian premium Shiraz, is invariably sourced from vines around 100 years old. These vines produce very small quantities of fruit, and due to their extensive root systems the grapes are packed with flavour because the roots have been able to extract great concentration from the mineral components of the soil. South Australian wasn’t finished yet. McLaren Vale had a cracker-jack 2003 vintage, with a beautifully balanced wine, the Geoff Merrill Henley, being a stand out. The distinctive style of the Lawsons from Padthaway, and the class of the Kilikanoon from the Clare Valley both expressed their well earned status. Coonawarra, often dogged by cool ripening conditions, managed to ripen their shiraz in 2003. The Majella and Katnook Prodigy showed the best examples of Shiraz from this region, more renowned for its cabernet, for many years. Much of Victoria suffered drought, with all but the western regions experiencing near disaster vintages. The Seppelts Saint Peters, from the Grampians along with the Bests Bin 0 from Great Western both fared well with their old vines producing well balanced wines of restrained elegance. The Hunter Valley often suffers from summer rain that not only affects the cricket at the nearby SCG but can reek havoc with the ripening grapes. Although semi-drought conditions plagued 2003, the 120 year old vines of the McWilliams O’Shea along with the much younger vineyards of Capercaillie both produced those typical ripe quirky styles much loved by the Hunter enthusiasts. The West Australian wines shattered the myth that “WA wines are overpriced”. Sitting alongside wines up to $500 more expensive, they more than held their own in the level playing field of a blind tasting. No letting a the sight of a label influence your judgement at the Peel Tasting! The Juniper Estate and Cape Mentelle from Margaret River, the Plantagenet from Mount Barker, and the host wine, the Peel Estate, all displayed comparible quality and class to our South Australian cousins. A timely lesson for the Shiraz shopper. Renowned English wine author Jancis Robinson has described Marcel Guigal as “the best wine-maker in the world”. His Chateau D’Ampuis from Cote Rotie and his Hermitage both drank superbly. They perhaps suffered in people’s overall assessment of the tasting with their elegance and complexity being overpowered by the blockbuster Australian styles sitting alongside them. Isole e Olena, from Chianti, was the sole Italian representative. I visited this highly regarded “new wave” producer recently during his 2009 vintage. His “Cepparello”, based on sangiovese is a stunner and although many of us found the 03 Shiraz quite earthy, it was a distintive style well worthy of our attention. A great day was had by all. Although Will Nairn emphasises that this tasting is not a competition, 102 of a possible 112 tasters voted for their most enjoyed 3 wines. The lovely Tiana from Peel Estate tabulated the results, with the top votes as follows: 1 Torbreck Run Rig, 2 Killakanoon Oracle, 3 Geoff Merrill Henley, 4 Wolf Blass Platinum and 5 Peel Estate. See you next year. By Nevile Phillips |
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