Harvey Steiman
Issue: October 15, 2007
Big, bold and powerful. If that's your picture of Australian Shiraz, the best red wines from the most recent vintages will add a few new brushstrokes to the image. The highest-scoring wines in this report show real subtlety and a sense of balance to go along with their power.
As Australia's red wine styles evolve, descriptors such as "harmonious" and "graceful" recur frequently in my reviews of the top wines, all of which are Shiraz. At the apex, the majestic Two Hands Ares 2005 (98 points on the Wine Spectator 100-point scale, $150) is amazingly refined, while the Clarendon Hills Astralis 2005 (96, $325) zings across the palate and the graceful Penfolds Grange 2002 (95, $250) finishes with vibrant acidity that elevates the fruit and spice character.
At less breathtaking prices, the John Duval Entity 2005 (94, $40) balances lithe plum and blackberry flavors against a veil of creamy oak—but only a veil, with the fruit distinguishing the long, expressive finish. And Spinifex, one of the brightest new stars in Barossa Valley, blends Shiraz and Mataro (also known as Mourvèdre) to make the vibrant Indigene 2005 (92, $55), which offers meaty blueberry and burnt sugar notes that remain supple through the generous finish. (For a complete list of all wines tasted for this report, see the alphabetical chart.)
Since my last report on the region ("Australia's Red Wines Blaze Ahead," Oct. 15, 2006), I have reviewed nearly 700 red wines in Wine Spectator's San Francisco office. More than 400 of these are Shiraz and Shiraz-based blends, dwarfing the number of bottlings of Cabernet Sauvignon, the second largest category at slightly more than 100. (The remaining wines include Grenache, Pinot Noir and Merlot, among several other varieties.) Shiraz dominates the list of outstanding wines (90 points or higher) with 175, followed by Grenache with 21 and Cabernet Sauvignon with 18. No other category exceeds two except for Pinot Noir, which has five.
The top Shirazes show more poise than the denser, riper versions that intrigued collectors only a few years ago. But ripeness and concentration are easy elements to achieve when the sun shines as steadily as it does in the prime winegrowing regions of Australia. Now the country's leading winemakers have learned to tame the beast without losing the richness and presence that made those big wines so impressive.
The most recent vintages support this trend. After the blazing hot growing season of 2003, which stressed vines at some sites and yielded opulent wines at others, the cooler 2004 and 2005 vintages both saw nearly ideal conditions in South Australia, the region that produces most of the better reds. Though 2006 represents a slight step down in quality, the vintage appears to have produced wines that are just as nicely balanced. Bottlings from these recent vintages may offer less drama than their counterparts from previous years, but they are lithe and open-textured, and have less alcohol.
Australia has also been affected by an unremitting drought that has persisted for six years. The situation reached a crisis point this past April, when the Australian government threatened to turn off the irrigation water drawn from the Murray River, which feeds most of South Australia. There was enough rain in May and June (the months leading up to the Australian winter) for a delay, but experts expect winegrowers to feel the effects of the drought for two or three years, even with normal or heavy rainfall in 2007.
Australia's total wine production had been increasing so rapidly since the mid-1990s that by 2006 the country was swimming in an enormous lake of unsold wine. That may not be the case any longer. The overall figures for the 2007 harvest are down by 40 percent, and early signs suggest that 2008 may be no larger.
Among new entries into the Aussie red wine game, Mollydooker may prove to be the most significant. Veteran winemakers and consultants Sparky and Sarah Marquis started the label last year after an acrimonious breakup with their American partner in Marquis Philips, wine importer Dan Philips of the Grateful Palate. In McLaren Vale, where they live, the Marquises make a heady, opulent style of Shiraz that manages to carry fairly high alcohol levels with ease. In its debut vintage, the winery's flagship Shiraz Velvet Glove 2006 (97, $175) shows tremendous presence, yet remains supple through the expressive finish.
Though many of this report's top-rated wines are made in relatively small quantities—the majority of them at less than 1,000 cases—most of the Mollydooker wines are produced at much greater levels, with the Velvet Glove at nearly 3,400 cases. Another exception is the Garden Series Shiraz bottlings from Two Hands, which made a similar number of cases of the Bella's Garden 2005 (95, $60), most of which came to the United States.
Nearly all of Mollydooker's production is likewise earmarked for the States. In its second vintage, the deep, seamless Shiraz Carnival of Love (2006; 95, $80) is a stunning wine, while the Shiraz South Australia The Boxer 2005 (91, $20) balances nutmeg- and cinnamon-scented cherry and licorice flavors against firm but well-integrated tannins.
Wines such as The Boxer hit the sweet spot for value-conscious consumers who want something better than ordinary for around $20. Among other options are the polished, refined Langmeil Shiraz-Viognier Barossa Valley Hangin' Snakes 2005 (91, $19), generous with its red cherry, raspberry and floral spice flavors; the Water Wheel Shiraz Bendigo 2004 (91, $18), distinctive for its balance of ripe blackberry and plum fruit, peppery spice and lively acidity; and the St. Hallett Shiraz Barossa Faith 2005 (90, $16), filled with cherry, violet and sweet spice flavors.
Although Australian Cabernet Sauvignon sometimes veers off into green flavors, the better versions can dazzle, often in blends with Shiraz and other varieties. The Wolf Blass Black Label Langhorne Creek-Barossa Valley-Coonawarra 2003 (93, $70) adds Shiraz and Malbec to Cabernet to make a dark, dense red whose blackberry, black cherry and licorice flavors work together to power through a fine curtain of tannins. At a more modest price, the Thorn-Clarke Shotfire Cuvée Barossa 2005 (91, $22) is an elegant, expressive red that blends Cabernet with Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot and a dab of Cabernet Franc.
As Grenache becomes an increasingly important grape, the stars include the luxurious vineyard-designated wines from Clarendon Hills, as well as perennial favorite Rosemount GSM McLaren Vale, a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. The 2003 (91, $22) is impressively long and detailed.
Aussie Pinot Noirs are also worth a taste. The Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir Yarra Valley 2006 (90, $18) has a delicate texture, with red cherry and coffee notes, while the Kooyong Pinot Noir Mornington Peninsula Massale 2005 (89, $22) presents bright raspberry and strawberry fruit backed by fine tannins.
In the less-than-$10 range, the news is mixed. Huge oversupplies in the past several years have spawned hundreds of new négociant labels peddling low-priced wines with kangaroos and other wildlife pictured on the labels, showing the influence of Yellow Tail, the single largest wine brand from Australia. The new labels are all trying to grab a piece of the pie.
Casella, which makes Yellow Tail, bottled 2.1 million cases of the Shiraz South Eastern Australia 2006 (87, $8). Slightly sweet, but less so than previous vintages, the wine is appealing for its green olive-shaded black fruit flavors. Even better—and less sweet—is the Shiraz The Reserve 2006 (89, $11), a juicy mouthful of plum and sweet spices, lingering effortlessly on the fine-grained finish.
The competition includes Alice White, a value brand from international wine giant Constellation. The Cabernet Sauvignon South Eastern Australia 2006 (86, $7) may be on the light side, but its pretty currant and white pepper flavors finish on a creamy note. Paringa, the Grateful Palate's partnership with winegrower David Hickinbotham, continues to deliver values such as the expressive Cabernet Sauvignon South Australia 2005 (88, $10). For a couple of bucks more there's the Thorn-Clarke Terra Barossa Cuvée Barossa 2005 (90, $13), a blend of Shiraz, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc that's distinctive for its violet-tinged currant and dusky spice flavors.
Even though Shiraz accounts for roughly two of every three red wines reviewed from Australia, this report also includes outstanding wines made from Mourvèdre, Merlot and even Tempranillo. And bottlings of Monte-pulciano, Nebbiolo and Petit Verdot came close, scoring in the high 80s, or very good.
Clearly, it would be a mistake to pigeonhole Australian red wine as Shiraz, whether the big, bold versions familiar to many wine drinkers or the more refined style now coming into vogue. Savvy consumers can benefit by looking beyond the obvious for flavorful discoveries.
Editor at large Harvey Steiman is Wine Spectator's lead taster on the wines of Australia
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