WS 2006: Australia's Red Wines Blaze Ahead

Big Shirazes and Cabernets dominate a surge in quality, led by wines from the 2004 vintage

Harvey Steiman
Issue: October 15, 2006

Australian red wines are coming off a stunning showing in recent tastings. Powered by the 2004 vintage, the reds of Down Under are reaching new heights of quality. And established producers aren't the only ones making outstanding wines—a spate of new challengers to the country's iconic labels are also making wines worth seeking out.

Since my last report on the region ("Australia's Big Red Engine," Oct. 15, 2005), I have reviewed nearly 650 red wines in Wine Spectator's San Francisco office, and tried more than 100 others that didn't make the cut in my blind tastings and were not formally reviewed. I found exceptional quality across the board. Thirteen wines rated in the classic range (95 to 100 points on the Wine Spectator 100-point scale), and more than 200 rated outstanding (90 points or higher).

Vast overplanting has produced an ocean of wine in Australia, and a deluge of new labels has emerged as a result. Although many of these are disappointing, it's still relatively easy to find outstanding Australian wines at attractive prices if you know what to look for. Even some bottlings for less than $10 can reach 85 to 89 points, or very good in terms of quality. (For an overview of 10 of Australia's leading wineries for reds, see "Sure Bets for Quality," page 118. For a complete list of all wines tasted for this report, see the alphabetical chart beginning on page 176 of this issue's Buying Guide.)

As in almost any wine category, the great bottlings cost dearly. Two dozen wines in this report carry price tags of $100 or more, and all but three of them also carry outstanding ratings. As prices go down, so does the batting average. Of the 94 wines priced in the $50-$99 range, 56 score 90 points or higher, or 60 percent. At $40-$49, the rate is 48 percent; at $30-$39, 41 percent; and at $20-$29, 28 percent. If you want change for a $20 bill, your chances of getting an outstanding wine drop to 9 percent.

The most expensive wine in this report is the current release of the Henschke Shiraz Eden Valley Hill of Grace, an Australian icon. Distinctive for the way it balances gamy, meaty notes with rich fruit and spice, the 2001 (95 points, $375) really stretches the flavor spectrum. The result is a very special wine, though it's hardly alone at the top.

The Clarendon Hills Astralis also comes with a high price tag. The 2004 (97, $325) is a dense, brooding, smoky, thick-textured Shiraz that still manages to feel open and welcoming as the finish expands and persists.

In comparison, the top-end Shirazes from Two Hands and newcomer Hobbs look like bargains. The Two Hands Ares Barossa Valley, a consistent 95-pointer since its first vintage in 2001, offers silky tannins and expressive fruit in the 2004 (97, $152), which finishes with great vibrancy and detail, while the Hobbs Shiraz Barossa Gregor 2003 (97, $135), made in very small quantities from old vines on an estate vineyard, gets amazing depth of flavor into a lithe package.

The biggest bang for the buck comes from Barossa Valley Estate, a cooperative producer. The Shiraz Barossa Valley E&E Black Pepper 2002 (97, $85) is dark, juicy and profound, delivering layer upon layer of flavor seamlessly knit into a cohesive whole. The only reason that E&E, the estate's flagship wine, costs less than $100 is because marketing pressure to keep prices moderate is more keenly felt at a cooperative as opposed to a family or corporate winery.

Australia's increasing success with Cabernet Sauvignon can be seen in a special bottling from Penfolds, sourced in 2004 from a small section of the Kalimna Vineyard in Barossa that has historically produced the best grapes for Penfolds' high-end Cabernet, the Bin 707. The wine is called Block 42 and was sold entirely as futures, at about $225 a bottle. It's a stunner, the best Cabernet I have yet tasted from Australia.

Penfolds also tried to catch lightning in a bottle with its 2004 Bin 60A, which was sold as futures as well. While the legendary 1962 Bin 60A remains the greatest Australian red I have ever tasted, a 50-50 blend of Cabernet from Coonawarra and Shiraz from the Kalimna Vineyard, the 2004 ($225) comprises the same proportions from the samevineyards and rates 94 points. The Block 42 and the Bin 60A were made in very small production in 2004, and so both will be difficult to find.

Then there is the new vintage of Australia's most venerable red, Penfolds Grange, whose release marks the 50th commercial vintage of the wine. Impressive as it is, the 2001 (93, $225) doesn't quite achieve the harmony characteristic of this famed Shiraz in great years.

If you're looking for more wallet-friendly reds from Australia, there are still plenty of options. The Two Hands Shiraz Barossa Valley Bella's Garden 2004 (95, $50), with its wall of delicious fruit, and the Two Hands Shiraz McLaren Vale Lily's Garden 2004 (94, $50), lithe and almost elegant, lead the pack. But don't miss the Torbreck The Struie Barossa Valley 2004 (94, $50), impressive for its focus and depth, or the Elderton Shiraz Barossa Command 2002 (93, $76), the current release of a perennial winner.

For less than $50—in this case, way less—I found four wines that represent astonishing value. The Langmeil Shiraz Barossa Valley Valley Floor 2004 (94, $23) does not feel big or broad, yet delivers compelling purity and impressive persistence. The Yangarra Estate Grenache-Shiraz-Mourvèdre McLaren Vale Cadenzia 2004 (93, $25) brims with plum, blackberry and cherry flavors. And the Green Point Shiraz Yarra Valley Reserve 2004 (93, $27) shows what Victoria can do with Shiraz, achieving ripe, jazzy flavors that float on an airy framework.

In the $20-and-under category, the big-time value of the year has to be the Jacob's Creek Shiraz South Australia Reserve 2003 (91, $13). A layer of black pepper seasons a mouthfilling gob of black cherry and licorice that cries out for grilled red meat. For a few bucks more you can get the Greg Norman Estates Cabernet-Merlot Limestone Coast 2003 (91, $15), juicy and graceful, or the Thorn-Clarke Shiraz Barossa Shotfire Ridge 2004 (91, $18), as rich and plush as wines that cost three times as much.

And $10 can still buy a bottle of The Wishing Tree Shiraz Western Australia-South Australia 2004 (89, $10), which has a crisp edge to ripe blackberry and white pepper flavors, or the Stonehaven Cabernet Sauvignon South Australia Winemaker's Selection 2003 (88, $9), with meaty flavors that linger. The Little Penguin, meanwhile, is one of the best labels across the board for wines under $10. Owned by Foster's Group, the same giant company that owns Penfolds, the label produces wines that mostly score in the mid-80s and cost $8. Unfortunately, at these lower prices the field is littered with thin, weedy or faulty wines. To help you find the wheat amid the chaff, see the chart on this page for my recommended values.

Part of the reason for Australia's strong showing in this report is the 2004 vintage in South Australia, from which come most of the country's outstanding reds. The preceding vintages include the hottest on record, 2003, and the coolest, 2002, while 2001 was also a very warm vintage, producing some overripe wines.

Neither too warm nor too cool, the 2004 vintage produced wines with remarkably pure, focused fruit flavors, but without excessive weight. You can see this in the high-end reds already available, including the aforementioned Penfolds Block 42 and Bin 60A, as well as bottlings from Clarendon Hills, Two Hands, Branson Coach House, Torbreck, Kaesler, Glaetzer and Rolf Binder.

But it's even more apparent in lower-priced wines such as Langmeil's non-reserve reds and the Schild Shiraz Barossa 2004 (96, $24), a tremendous value that practically radiates a range of aromas and flavors, balancing its ripe cherry, blackberry and plum fruit with hints of mineral and sweet spice that make the finish sing.

If this is what the early-release 2004s can do, wine drinkers should be further rewarded when more of the big guns are released over the next few years. For now, enjoy some of the best reds Australia has produced to date.

Editor at large Harvey Steiman is Wine Spectator's lead taster on the wines of Australia.

Best Australian Reds For Less Than $10

Wine	Score	Price
THE LITTLE PENGUIN Cabernet Sauvignon South Eastern Australia 2005	88	$8
THE LITTLE PENGUIN Pinot Noir South Eastern Australia 2005	87	$8
OXFORD LANDING Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz South Australia 2004	87	$9
ALICE WHITE Cabernet Sauvignon South Eastern Australia 2005	87	$7
ANGOVE'S Cabernet-Merlot South Australia Bear Crossing 2003	86	$7
BANROCK STATION Shiraz South Eastern Australia 2004	86	$5
HARDYS Shiraz South Eastern Australia Nottage Hill 2004	86	$9
JACOB'S CREEK Grenache-Shiraz South Eastern Australia 2005	86	$8
LINDEMANS Cabernet Sauvignon South Eastern Australia Bin 45 2005	86	$8
BANROCK STATION Merlot South Eastern Australia 2005	85	$5