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Western
Australia.
Great Southern.
Cabernet Sauvignon thrives across the length and breadth of the region,
producing long-lived wines of deep colour, intense flavour and powerful
structure. They are in every sense classic Cabernets, with an austerity
to the flavour, and a briary toughness to the young wines which demands
patience but which richly rewards it. The renaissance in the fortunes
of Shiraz has served to intensify the pressure on the limited, but
exceptionally high quality, quantities of Shiraz produced in the region.
It exhibits a compelling combination of liquorice, spice, pepper,
black cherry and plum; happily, almost all makers avoid the temptation
of smothering it in American oak, allowing the spectacular fruit quality
free reign to express itself. Until recently, regarded as the preserve
of the southern area around Denmark and Albany, but some exciting
wines have started to appear from Mount Barker - a development predicted
by the eminent research viticulturist Dr John Gladstones. Vies with
Cabernet Sauvignon as the most important wine from the region, even
though - relatively speaking - it is an unfashionable variety. Its
importance derives directly from the quality of the wine, which ranks
with the best of the Clare and Eden Valleys of South Australia. Like
the Riesling of those regions, it ages superbly, seldom reaching the
peak of its development in less than 10 years. While tending crisp
and lean in its youth, it does have intense flavour, typically in
the citrus spectrum (an underlay of herbs) and inevitably most is
consumed within 12 months or so of vintage. Elegant, tightly structured,
grapefruit-accented Chardonnay which ages well is produced in ever-increasing
quantities. Notwithstanding the shift in climate from south to north,
the style is relatively consistent; perhaps that of the south is a
little finer and softer, that of the north more powerful, but there
is little in it.
Margaret River.
Virtually every winery produces a Cabernet, although Merlot is an
increasingly common blend component. The style has evolved over
the decades, with a cross-hatch of winemaker/viticulturist inputs
giving rise to a number of distinctive and stylish interpretations
of Cabernet (and Merlot). The common threads are physiologically
ripe grapes which provide a sweet core to all the wines, which are
never leafy or herbal, and often slightly earthy/gravelly tannins
which need to be controlled but which provide complexity, authority
and structure. Leeuwin Estate was one of the pioneers of Chardonnay
in the region, and on the reckoning of many is one of Australia's
greatest examples of the breed, if not the greatest. But it is by
no means the only producer of outstanding Chardonnay, which seems
to acquire an extra dimension unique to the Margaret River. It is
more concentrated, more complex, more viscous, more tangy, yet does
not cloy nor become heavy. The voluptuous fruit lends itself to
the full range of winemaking techniques, and the region's winemakers
do not shrink from using them.
Semillon (and even Chenin Blanc) acquires a pleasantly herbal/grassy
cut which imperceptibly shades into Sauvignon Blanc. Intensity and
elegance likewise coalesce in wines which are seldom less than distinguished.
Pemberton/Warren.
For all the hesitation about Pinot Noir, it has made the greatest
impression so far among the red wines. The Cabernets and Cabernet
blends are very pleasant wines, with soft berry and leaf aromas
and flavours, but one suspects that work remains to be done in restraining
vigour (and yield) if wines are to be made which seriously challenge
either Mount Barker or Margaret River. Not only is this by far the
most widely planted variety, but clearly the most successful across
the entire region in terms of style and quality. Chardonnay is a
forgiving and flexible variety, and does not object to being grown
in what might be termed easy or soft conditions. At its best, it
produces opulently flavoured and structured wines, with an almost
creamy texture and which respond well to the generous use of high
quality French oak. At the other extreme, the wine is pleasant but
fractionally dilute, lacking the impact of the best Chardonnays
from Mount Barker or the Margaret River.
Perth Hills.
The Cabernet Sauvignon is frequently blended, sometimes released
as straightforward varietal wines, and produced by the majority
of the wineries in the region. Full flavoured, with chocolaty/earthy/berry
flavours, the wines are reliable and pleasant. The ubiquitous chardonnay
does not disappoint: the best white wines to have come from the
Perth Hills have been made from this variety. One would expect the
style to be generous, and it usually is, but some quite tight, minerally
wines are also produced.
South West Coastal.
The Cabernets tend to be rather fine and delicate with soft tannins
and cherry/red fruit flavours. Some Cabernets produced further to
the south can be quite robust.
The Shiraz follows the pattern set by Cabernet Sauvignon tending
to the soft elegant styles with a core of cherry and mint fruit.
Chardonnay is quite diverse throughout the region attesting once
again to the versatility and flexibility of the variety. Wines vary
from intense, strong grapefruit flavours to peach/melon to rich
and buttery.
Swan Valley.
Chenin Blanc dominates plantings in the Swan Valley, contributing
roughly 25 per cent of the annual crush. Arguably, the Swan Valley
is the one region in Australia in which this grape (and the wine
it makes) rises above mediocrity. In this climate it produces a
wine with a certain luscious richness, which responds well to bottle
age, producing an almost voluptuous White Burgundy style. It also
does particularly well in the Moondah Brook/Gingin subregions, producing
wines with an abundance of the fruit salad flavours which are the
varietal signature of the grape.
Plantings of Chardonnay are increasing, but Westfield in particular
has produced some very good, buttery/peachy wines from it, sometimes
with an almost Burgundian tang which comes from a measure of barrel
ferment.
South
Australia.
Adelaide Hills.
After a slow and at times uncertain start, Pinot Noir is now asserting
itself in the fashion that the climate has long suggested it should.
The arrival of new Burgundian clones should ensure continued impetus
and interest. Indeed, there is no doubt that the Adelaide Hills is
and will remain South Australia's leading producer of Pinot Noir,
capable of throwing down the gauntlet to southern Victoria and Tasmania.
Although not widely grown, several producers have managed to make
outstanding wines from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, none more so
than Henschke at Lenswood, and - in different style - Chain of Ponds
and Glenara in the north western corner of the Adelaide Hills. If
nothing else, it is a testament to the importance of site selection.
Complex but elegant Chardonnays are par for the course; the variety
flourishes, and the resulting wines are invariably full of character,
responding in marked fashion to the winemaking philosophies and practices
of the numerous distinguished producers in the region. As one would
expect, natural levels of acidity are good, allowing makers to use
malolactic fermentation to increase complexity without making the
wines soft and flabby, nor threatening their longevity.
Riesling is grown in both cooler and warmer sites within the Adelaide
Hills, producing razor sharp, fine and delicate wines in the cooler
parts and richer, more conventional wine on the warmer sites. For
early consumption, the latter wines may well be favoured; for those
prepared to wait 5-10 years, the cool sites provide the answer.
Adelaide Plains.
Shiraz ranks equally with Chardonnay in terms of production, and
in the hands of Primo Estate produces a wine of remarkable quality,
showing a totally unexpected touch of spice (normally reserved for
cooler climates) and fine-grained tannins. Winemaking skills have
no doubt played a part, but it demonstrates what can be achieved
with grapes grown on mature vines and with controlled yields.
Barossa Valley.
Shiraz is given pride of place because the Barossa Valley is the
birthplace of Penfolds Grange, the greatest red wine made from this
variety outside of the confines of the northern Rhone Valley. Almost
every Barossa Valley winery has a Shiraz or Shiraz blend somewhere
on the books; the style is full blooded - dark in colour, rich in
dark red fruits with a touch of chocolate, a hint of roasted character,
and sometimes eucalypt/mint. The structure is round and velvety,
and the wines are almost invariably extremely long lived. Cabernet
Sauvignon follows a similar track to Shiraz. Wonderfully strong
and rich in flavour and colour, it does manage to cling to its varietal
character, but it is often best blended with grapes from other regions
such as the Eden Valley, McLaren Vale or Coonawarra. The illustrious
Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon is now a wholehearted marriage
between the Barossa Valley and Coonawarra. Just as almost every
Barossa Valley winery has a Shiraz, so does it have a Riesling.
Increasingly these are sourced wholly or partially outside the valley
(usually from the adjacent East Barossa Ranges), although that is
not always apparent from the labels. The style is quintessentially
Australian: strong, passionfruit/tropical fruits/lime flavours which
can build magnificently with prolonged bottle age, although only
a tiny percentage is given the opportunity. Semillon has had a distinct
renaissance, frequently being given a seductive toasting of American
oak, and developing quickly into a robust, full bodied wine. Like
Semillon, tends to produce a relatively full bodied, relatively
quick maturing style when produced from grapes grown on the Barossa
Valley floor or the lower foothills.
Clare Valley.
Much of Australia's finest Riesling is grown in the Clare Valley,
and it is the most important wine for the region. Typically it starts
life in a fairly austere mode, with faint aromas of passionfruit,
a touch of lime, and a steely strength. Almost immediately a telltale
touch of lightly browned toast starts to emerge, and as the wine
ages and becomes more complex the intensity of that toasty character
grows. These are long lived wines: only in the weakest years will
they not benefit from 5 years in bottle, many of the better wines
improving for up to 10 years. Cabernet Sauvignon is the other great
wine of the region. Here the character and the style is less homogenous,
in part reflecting the philosophy of the winemaker and in part the
imperatives of the vineyard terroir. The wines are seldom less than
full bodied, at times as strikingly dense, rich and concentrated
as any wine to be found in Australia. There are those who think
that Clare Shiraz is every bit as good as Cabernet Sauvignon, and
over the years the two have frequently been blended, sometimes with
the addition of a little Malbec. The wines are deep in colour and
flavour, rounder and softer than the Cabernet Sauvignon, but with
similar strength and depth.
Coonawarra.
Whatever yardstick one adopts, Coonawarra produces most of Australia's
great Cabernet Sauvignon. The fruit flavours are very concentrated
and luscious, covering a broad spectrum of individual fruit flavours
ranging from blackcurrant to plum to red cherry to prunes. Notwithstanding
the impact of oak tannins, the wines are seldom astringent or tannic,
and indeed Coonawarra winemakers invest much effort in extracting
every last grain of available tannin. To all intents and purposes,
Shiraz was the only wine grape grown in Coonawarra between 1900
and 1950; there were a few vines of Cabernet Sauvignon and a little
Grenache. The grape that in effect created Coonawarra's reputation
seemed to be taking a slow ride to obscurity in the face of the
success of Cabernet Sauvignon until Wynns Coonawarra Estate turned
the tide. The advent of the de luxe Michael Hermitage (Shiraz) alongside
John Riddoch (Cabernet Sauvignon) has simply served to underline
the inherent quality of the wine. The quality of Riesling in Coonawarra
has never been seriously in dispute: however it has been so completely
overshadowed by the reputation of the red wines, and increasingly
by Chardonnay, that only two producers (Wynns and Hollick) have
consistently made and released a Riesling in any quantity. Lindemans
has now returned to the fold, and the fragrant, flowery and appealingly
fruity style (so different to that of the Clare Valley) is slowly
but surely gaining the recognition it deserves.
Eden Valley.
Riesling has traditionally been the most important white grape (and
wine) of the region, initially developing fragrant strong lime juice
aromas and with great intensity of flavour on the palate ultimately
allied with touches of marmalade on toast as the wines age. Good
Eden Valley Riesling will take 10 years or more to reach its peak.
Shiraz ranks with Riesling as the most important (and most highly
regarded) wine of the region. Contrary to what one might expect,
the wines rarely show the spicy/peppery characters of cool climate
Shiraz from other parts of southern Australia (notably Victoria);
rather, they tend to more luscious plums and black berry fruit characters,
sometimes associated with touches of liquorice and more gamey/foresty
characters. Structurally, the wines are very smooth, with ripe tannins
well balanced and integrated, guaranteeing a long life.
Eyre Peninsula.
Merlot is sometimes made as a straight varietal, sometimes blended
with Cabernet Sauvignon. If there is to be significant expansion
of plantings in the region, Merlot should be one of the front runners.
Not only is it in demand overall, but it appears particularly well
suited to the climate (and soil) of the Peninsula, producing wine
of bell clear varietal character. The flavours run through a spectrum
of leaf, mint and red berry, the bouquet appropriately fragrant.
The late ripening variety of Cabernet Sauvignon provides positive
proof of the temperate climate, which may indeed be even cooler
than the statistics suggest - or at least is so in some vintages.
In the warmer years it produces a wine with a most attractive mix
of gently herbaceous/tobacco characters with sweeter red and blackberry
flavours; the tannins are fine and supple, and the wine is of medium
body. In the cooler vintages, herbaceous characters are more evident,
though not unpleasantly so. Riesling is made in both dry and semi
dry style, the latter no doubt reflecting the importance of the
general tourist cellar door trade upon which the wineries rely.
As is the case in virtually all Australian regions in which it and
the Cabernet family dominate, it performs well, providing a crisp,
tasty wine in its dry version but also lending itself to being made
in a sweeter style.
Langhorne Creek.
While less than 10% of the wine currently made from grapes grown
in Langhorne Creek is sold as a single-region wine, the style is
relatively easy to define. On the one hand there are the wines made
by the 4 small wineries in the region, and on the other hand there
are the blended wines from the major companies in which the Langhorne
Creek component makes an obvious contribution. Langhorne Creek was
the anvil upon which Wolf Blass made much of his reputation in the
1970s and '80s, producing immediately accessible, soft and fragrant
Cabernet blends which melted into the American oak barrels in which
the wines were matured. The flavours are in the red berry spectrum,
often with some gentle minty and chocolate overtones, seldom herbaceous
or tannic. As with the Clare Valley, Malbec adds a particular dimension
when added to the blend, providing an almost riotously juicy wine,
with more cassis evident. Shiraz is often released as a single varietal,
but also blended with all or any of Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot or
Malbec, again producing strikingly fruity wines with flavours and
aromas of cherry and mint, finishing with that hallmark regional
softness yet a hint of spice.
McLaren Vale.
Arguably, the cooler sites in McLaren Vale are Australia's best
area for Sauvignon Blanc; while vintage variation does play a role,
in most years the wines have excellent varietal character (tending
to gooseberry/tropical rather than more weedy/grassy flavours) without
becoming coarse or heavy. Semillon is often incorporated as a blend
component to very good effect.
Chardonnay, not surprisingly, has established a stranglehold on
white grape plantings in the region since its introduction a little
over 15 years ago. The style varies according to site, maker input
and vintage conditions, ranging from elegant, citrus-tinged wines
through to richer, fleshier, peachy/buttery versions. As in so many
of the premium wine growing districts of Australia, Shiraz was the
backbone of the industry for much of this century. It produces a
densely coloured, richly flavoured wine which quickly develops a
velvety texture. Cabernet Sauvignon wines are full bodied, and rich
often with a touch of dark chocolate intermixed with blackcurrant,
but they avoid overripe, jammy characteristics. The tannins are
plentiful but soft, and the wines have the structure for long aging.
As with Shiraz, significant amounts of wine produced in the region
are blended with less rich wines from other parts of South Australia
to provide body and structure in large volume commercial blends.
Cabernet Sauvignons are typically of medium body with intense blackcurrant
varietal character attesting to the cool climate; when Cabernet
Franc is added, these characters become even more pronounced.
Chardonnay is produced both for sparlking and table wine, and -
not suprisingly - is particularly wel suited to the former. In table
wine it has citrus and melon flavours and is of medium body and
intensity. Some late harvest Chardonnay is also produced.
Murray Valley.
While there are many young vineyards in the Murray Valley there
are also significant areas with wines over eighty years old. Many
of these consist of Grenache and Mourvedre which were until recently
seen as workhorse varieties for use in cask reds and fortifieds.
Fruit from these old vines, often in combination with Shiraz, is
now being used to produce medium bodied spicy red wines which exemplify
the sunny, fruit-driven Australian style. Chardonnays are characterised
by rich gold colour and full ripe fruit flavours of peach and melon.
Careful use of oaks adds an extra dimension to the wine without
detracting from the fruit flavours. The current trend towards unwooded
Chardonnay is also well suited to the ripe flavours of the Murray
Valley. The secret with Shiraz in the Murray Valley is in restricting
the yield to achieve the necessary ripeness and balance. The increasing
interest in Australian Shiraz on the world market has encouraged
growers and winemakers to focus attention on this variety. At its
best, Murray Valley Shiraz is warm and generous with soft and rounded
flavours and a gentle tannin finish. They are not necessarily made
for long-term cellaring but to be enjoyed while fresh and lively.
Padathaway.
Chardonnay is the most successful of all of the table wines of this
region. There is a particular character to the fruit flavour which
is evident in the majority of the vintages, and which (without the
intervention of oak) is strongly reminiscent of grapefruit, although
the flavours also extend to more conventional melon, fig and white
peach. An additional attribute is the ability to age gracefully
in bottle, witnessed by the success of mature Padthaway Chardonnays
at the National Wine Show of Australia. Lindemans, Hardys and Orlando
have all from time to time produced Chardonnays of outstanding merit
and character from Padthaway.
Cabernet Sauvignon is released either as a single varietal, or blended
with Merlot, the wine is typically of medium body, fragrant and
with cool (rather than warm) climate characters to the fore. The
tannins are fine and soft, and the wine does not need (nor is it
usually given) significant oak influence. The wines enter the plateau
of drinkability quite quickly, but are capable of lingering on that
plateau for many years. As with much of the wine from Padthaway,
it is often blended with wines from other regions. Shiraz, like
Cabernet, is frequently blended with wines from other South Australian
regions, but from time to time appears either as a single region
varietal, or as a significant component. Orlando and Hardys have
both produced excellent wines using this formula. Yields has to
be controlled if Shiraz is to give of its best in the region.
Queensland.
Granite Belt.
Shiraz s the one consistently distinctive wine style of the region:
dark in colour; strong in body, flavour and tannins; and above all
else, redolent with spice when young, but developing soft, sweet velvety
fruit with time in bottle, reminiscent of Shiraz of the Hunter Valley.
Like Shiraz, the Cabernet Sauvignon is full, dark and rich in flavour
- at times perhaps rather too much so, but arguably too much is better
than too little. Cassis/red berry/sweet fruit flavours predominate,
attesting to the warm climate, and the often warm vanillin oak. Echoes
of the Hunter Valley also appear in the Semillons of the region, wines
which grow gracefully in bottle for 5 years or more. Early in its
life, Semillon can exhibit striking tropical fruit characters (possibly
botrytis influenced) but with age, classic honeyed/toasty characters
emerge.
New South Wales.
Canberra District.
Cabernet Sauvignon is sometimes made as a single varietal wine, but
increasingly blended with Merlot; as with all the wines of the region,
the varied climatic conditions which prevail from one vintage to the
next (and differing approaches in the winery) make generalisations
about style more than usually hazardous. Overall, the weight and extract
varies from light, leafy and minty to rich, concentrated and chocolaty.
Shiraz is a variety which is starting to come into its own as part
of the general resurgence of interest, with several wineries producing
spectacularly good examples, redolent of spice, black cherry and liquorice.
It would not surprise to see plantings of the variety increase significantly
over the years. Riesling, for many of the wineries, vies with Chardonnay
as the most important white wine, and arguably has more personality
and typicity. The majority are made in a crisp, gently toasty, dry
style, with sweeter styles less favoured than they once were. Botrytis
is not a significant factor; in the warmer years, more tropical characters
do appear, however. Modest yields ensure that the wines age well in
bottle for up to a decade.
Cowra.
Chardonnay is by far the most important wine of the region, invariably
generously flavoured and, in most instances, relatively quick maturing.
However, certain wines from the late '70's and from 1981 (in particular)
demonstrate a largely unrecognised capacity to develop into ultra-rich,
golden, honey and buttered toast styles. In younger wines, yellow
peach and ripe fig flavours tend to dominate; by the nature of things,
a degree of American oak influence is commonplace.
Hastings
River.
T he intense purple
colour of Chambourcin immediately signals its genetic ancestry to
the trained eye, and gives the wine a second use as a blend component
where colour is thought to be needed by the winemaker. The flavour
of Chambourcin is pronounced, falling in the black cherry/plum range
in its youth, sometimes with a slight spicy/gamey overlay. But as
a young, fresh wine it is among the best examples of hybrids produced
anywhere in the world. Substantial plantings of Pinot Noir are a
testament to the belief of John Cassegrain that in some ways there
are parallels to the climate of Burgundy. Both the statistics and
the quantity and style of Hastings Valley Pinot Noir point firmly
in the opposite direction; suffice is to say Pinot Noir produces
a light coloured, quick developing, earthy style and has in fact
frequently been blended with Chambourcin and other varieties to
produce a varietally indistinct but pleasant dry red table wine.
Cabenet Sauvignon vintages such as 1991 (and to a lesser extent
1993) show what can be achieved with these varieties (and also shiraz).
Soft, quite fleshy, wines with abundant berry and earth flavours
are the result; Merlot, too, can be successfully made as a single
varietal though sometimes as a cross-regional blend. The ubiquitous
Chardonnay dominates plantings here in the same fashion as it does
in all newly established grape growing regions of Australia. Chardonnay
does well here. The style is not unlike a pumped-up version of that
of the Hunter Valley, rich, generous and fruitily sweet in a peach/tropical
fruit spectrum. It lends itself to manipulation in the winery, and
to the expansive use of oak. As one might expect, it matures relatively
quickly, but the wines from better (drier) vintages can hold their
peak for several years. The thin skins and large berries of semillon
make it especially vulnerable to the effects of vintage rain. The
saving grace (as in the Hunter Valley) is semillon's unusual ability
to produce excellent wine at lower than usual sugar (and hence alcohol)
levels of around 10% baume. Thus early picking is the response,
and the wines show many of the characters of and develop in much
the same way as those of the Hunter Valley. As with Chardonnay,
weight and intensity can be diluted in high yielding years.
Lower
Hunter.
Shiraz is to Cabernet
Sauvignon what Semillon is to Chardonnay. The Hunter Valley imposes
its regional stamp on both wines, and it is arguable the inherent
varietal character of Shiraz bends more compliantly than does Cabernet
Sauvignon to that stamp. Given that France's Rhone Valley is very
much warmer than is Bordeaux (home of Cabernet), that is as it should
be. Moreover, Shiraz makes the same transformation in bottle as
Semillon, moving from an astringent, angular and spiky youth into
a velvety, almost luminous maturity at 20 or even 30 years of age.
When the dust settles down, Semillon will be regarded as the great
wine of the Lower Hunter. It demands time in bottle, growing from
a vaguely grassy youth to a crescendo of honeyed, nutty, buttery/toasty
mouthfilling richness at 10 to 20 years of age. Chardonnay started
its Australia-wide reign of terror, ecstasy or whatever, when Murray
Tyrrell produced the 1971 Vat 47 Pinot Chardonnay. Virtually every
winery today produces a Chardonnay, some are richer or more complex,
more oaky than others, but all with a peaches and cream cast to
their makeup. Opinions differ sharply about the keeping qualities
of these wines: if varietal character is unimportant to you, then
the deep golden, buttery, viscous opulence of aged Hunter Chardonnay
will be extremely satisfying.
Mudgee.
Cabernet Sauvignon
makes Mudgee's best wines, usually as a 100 per cent varietal, but
sometimes blended with Merlot or Shiraz. The wines have tremendous
depth of colour, and hold their purple-red hues for longer than
those of the Hunter, turning brick-red at 7 to 10 years of age.
The generous flavours reflect the warm climate: a melange of tastes
of red berry, dark chocolate and (sometimes) eucalypt/peppermint;
the tannins are almost invariably pronounced, but are not excessively
astringent and are balanced by fruit generosity.
The Shiraz can be somewhat schizophrenic; some are determined to
out-hunter the Hunter, with strong earthy/tarry/leather characters.
Other wines are much cleaner and closer to Cabernet Sauvignon, with
lush red berry fruits and hints of chocolate. It is frequently blended
with Cabernet Sauvignon, sometimes with Cabernet and Malbec - almost
always to very good effect. Chardonnay is by far the best-performing
white wine from the region, consistently producing good, sometimes
excellent, wine. The flavours are usually in the peach/melon/fig
spectrum, but often citric/grapefruit characters emerge, particularly
where the maker employs barrel-ferment techniques. The wines show
their best varietal character in the second and third years, but
do go on to develop into rich, regional honeyed White Burgundy styles
over a much longer time frame.
Orange.
Cabernet Sauvignon
and Merlot are usually blended, but sometimes produced as single
varietal wines, these leave no doubt that this the Orange region
has a temperate climate. The flavours run through the sappy/briary/herbaceous/earthy
spectrum (though with some dark berry sweetness, of course); are
of medium weight and body; and have fine tannins, all in all quite
European in their structure. They can be very effectively blended
with wines from warmer regions such as Mudgee, the Hunter Valley
and Cowra. The Chardonnay is, again, by far the most important wine.
The style is a neat balance between the fleshy, rich, quick eveloping
warm climate wine and the ultra fine, slow developing, citrus and
cashew style of very cool climates. Melon, fig and nectarine flavours
are set in a wine of medium weight and pleasantly firm acidity,
responding well to but not relying on the subtle use of oak and
malolactic fermentation. Although there is not a long history, it
is reasonable to suppose the wines will respond well to medium term
cellaring. Intense tropical fruit flavours develop in Sauvignon
Blanc when grown at high elevation (above 750m). The more vigourous
soils also produce fruit with herbaceous character that complements
the strong fruit flavours.
Riverina/Griffith.
Picked
at normal maturity, Semillon provides a pleasant wine (which may
be blended with other varieties) and is used in the making of generic
styles. When left on the vine for a full two months after maturity
(and if the weather conditions are favourable) Botrytis Cinerea,
a 'noble rot', may attack the grapes, concentrating both sugar and
acid, and producing the luscious Sauternes-style dessert wine which
is the district's outstanding specialty. The Riverina produces more
than half of Australia's Semillon. Much good Shiraz and Cabernet
Sauvignon is produced in the region. With the growing importance
of exports, considerable research is being done on irrigation, nutrition
and canopy management to improve fruit quality. The Riverina produces
20% of Australia's Shiraz.
Upper
Hunter.
Semillon is typically
fleshy, soft and more likely to be oak-influenced than the Semillons
of the Lower Hunter Valley, although in recent times there has been
a distinct move towards (traditional) unwooded Semillon styles.
Whether or not oak is used, the wines develop more quickly than
those of the Lower Hunter; they tend to peak at 2 to 4 years of
age, with soft, buttery fruit. As with Semillon, Chardonnays develop
relatively quickly, reaching full maturity at around 3 years; full
bodied, soft and with honey/peach/butter flavours. Semillon Chardonnay
blends are quite common, but Chardonnay has to be regarded as the
outstanding wine of the region, with all makers producing wines
of real merit. Rosemount Roxburgh is on one view Australia's greatest
example of the style, incredibly rich and complex, toasty, textured
and creamy, with a strong charred oak overlay.
Victoria
Bendigo.
This is red wine country first and foremost, and it is inevitable
that most attention focuses on Cabernet Sauvignon. There is a character
which runs right across Central Victoria (from Great Western to
the Pyrenees and onwards, in slightly diminishing strength, to the
Goulburn Valley) which was first noted 100 years ago: Francois de
Castella recorded that the red wines of the Bendigo region were
noted for a 'faint curious character, resembling sandalwood', and
that this even persisted in brandy distilled from the wine.In modern
winespeak, we use the term mint (meaning mint in the eucalypt-to-peppermint
spectrum, as opposed to garden mint) to describe this character.
Its intensity varies from vintage to vintage, and from wine to wine,
but it is seldom entirely absent. The wines have great depth of
colour, a rich texture with abundant tannins, and fruit flavours
ranging from faintly tobacco/herbaceous (in the coolest years),
through to the far more common blackberry/blackcurrant flavours.
They are long lived wines with excellent cellaring prospects. Shiraz
is the other great red wine of the region. Indeed, in the Heathcote
subregion and at nearby Great Western, many think it reaches its
greatest expression, and for that reason. The colour is deep, and
the wine almost voluptuous in the way the flavour and texture fill
the mouth. Pepper/spice may accompany mint, but frequently replaces
it, with red berry and sometimes cherry fruit to support these more
exotic flavours. It is every bit as long-lived as Cabernet Sauvignon.
South
West Victoria.
The vintage conditions
have to be favourable, but when they are cabernet (either alone
or blended with Merlot and/or Cabernet Franc) produces a wine with
striking similarities to a Classed Growth Bordeaux (from the Haut
Medoc), sometimes redolent of cassis, sometimes tending more to
cedar and cigar box. One or two varietal Merlots (produced in minuscule
quantities) have also been very exciting. All the wines in this
family age particularly well. Riesling is arguably the best suited
grape for the making of table wine (although there have been a handful
of extraordinary Gewurztraminers made by Seppelt) and made by all
the wineries in the region. Fine, intense, gently lime, accented
wines gradually assume more toasty characters as they develop in
bottle over a decade or more, but do not lose their hallmark elegance.
If the volume (or the number of wineries) was greater, this region
would likely rank with Australia's best. The occasional Botrytis
Riesling simply adds lustre to the overall performance of Riesling
here; once again elegance and intensity combine to produce a wine
of exceptional quality.
Geelong.
The producers of
Pinot Noir in the region carry disproportionate weight, in no small
measure because of the clarity of varietal expression and the sheer
quality of the wine made from this most capricious variety. The
style of the wine produced by the makers is (predictably) very different,
reflecting differing winemaking techniques and philosophies, but
with a common varietal base: one does not need flights of fancy
to find plums, tobacco, violets, strawberries and truffles appearing
(not necessarily at the one time) in the wines. Pinot Noir was a
famous wine for the region in the last century, and it is again
today. If there is a unifying feature in all of the Geelong wines
it is their strength and depth of colour, bouquet and flavour. Almost
all the wineries produce striking Shiraz which sometimes shows pepper/spice
overtones, but more often than not relies on potent dark cherry
fruit with persistent but balanced tannins providing structure and
longevity. The area is capable of producing concentrated, powerful
and long lived Cabernets, with intense blackcurrant/cassis characters
at their best, and more sappy/herbaceous characters in the cooler,
wetter years at same sites. In all sites, limited yields are of
prime importance in shaping the style and intensity of the wine.
If the area under vine in the Geelong region is to substantially
increase, no doubt Chardonnay will be one of the major contributors
to growth. It has shown it can produce a wine of exceptional strength
and complexity, developing pronounced Burgundian overtones with
age, but can also be made in a more simple and easily accessible
form on the Bellarine Peninsula. As with Pinot Noir, some of the
newer plantings are being used to produce sparkling wine base, a
use which is likely to continue in the future.
Gippsland.
Pinot Noir disputes
pride of place with Chardonnay; the style varies somewhat throughout
the subregions, tending richer and somehow slightly more rustic
in East and West Gippsland, but in the (coolest) South Gippsland
sub-region capable of making what many regard as one of Australia's
greatest Pinot Noir styles, and certainly its most Burgundian -
fine and elegant, but with a deceptive length and intensity, and
an elusive amalgam of strawberry, plum, tobacco and forest floor
aromas and flavours. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are usually blended
in a Bordeaux style red. The cool climate both makes the logic of
the blend obvious, and means that in style the wines do indeed have
overtones of Bordeaux. Overall, they are on the light to medium
bodied side (in contrast to the Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs) with
nuances of mint, leaf and earth to the more conventional dark berry
fruits. The tannins are generally fine, occasionally firm. Chardonnay
is successfully made in all subregions, albeit with the greatest
success in East Gippsland, where low yields produce wines of wholly
exceptional flavour, structure and overall impact. Typically deeply
coloured, and with layer upon layer of fruit flavour, augmented
by generous use of French oak by the best makers, these wines stand
out in the seemingly endless sea of Australian chardonnay. If there
is a question mark, it is over their sheer opulence.
Goulburn
Valley.
Shiraz
was the principal grape grown in the Goulburn Valley for over a
century, anchored at Chateau Tahbilk. Then and now it is capable
of producing a red wine of awesome flavour and longevity which is
amenable to oak influence. The wines present with ripe rich fruit
when young and with age reveal flavours of dark fruits, a hint of
pepper, dark chocolate and soft, supple leather and earth flavours.
Some Shiraz is grown in the Ranges, but it is Shiraz which is dominating
the recent plantings on the central valley floor - and not Cabernet
Sauvignon. Throughout the 1970's 1980's and early 1990's it seemed
that the march of Cabernet Sauvignon would never stop. Virtually
all wineries, large and small, produce a Cabernet, and the style
is inevitably diverse, changing from warm, earthy chocolate-accented
flavours around Seymour to firmer, finer cassis/redcurrant fruit
in the Strathbogie Ranges. The Goulburn Valley boasts the oldest
and largest plantings of Marsanne in the world. For both Mitchelton
and Chateau Tahbilk, the variety is very important: in many ways
it is the flagbearer for each, even though each makes greater quantities
of other wines. Yet the style of the two wines could not be more
different: that of Mitchelton is heavily oak influenced, lemon-accented
and gains a pungent, almost oily, richness with age. Oak plays no
part at all in the Tahbilk wine: it is delicate and faintly chalky
in its youth, but in the best years is extremely long-lived, building
the honeysuckle bouquet and taste which typifies the variety. Chardonnay
is of rapidly increasing importance, for it flourishes both in the
valley and in the Strathbogie Ranges. In the valley, it is capable
of producing good yields at high sugar levels, and a peachy/buttery
richness attesting to the climate. In the Strathbogie Ranges, it
transforms itself, with tangy grapefruit and melon flavours as a
table wine, and producing a fine base for sparkling wine. As one
would expect, instead of being fast developing, here it is slow
maturing. For reasons which are not readily apparent from the climatic
data, the Central Goulburn region produces excellent Riesling, arguably
Victoria's best, and challenged mainly by the newer generation wines
from the Strathbogie Ranges. The valley floor wines have considerable
weight and flavour, with marked lime juice and tropical fruit aromas
and flavours intermingling. Despite their early appeal, the wines
also have the capacity to age attractively for up to 10 years, holding
their peak for some further years thereafter. The wines from the
Ranges are finer, but still have pronounced tropical lime fruit.
Grampians.
The Shiraz
s the district's finest wine. The impact of mesoclimate is greater
than one might expect, for the style ranges from silky smooth, almost
understated, red cherry and plum through to strikingly concentrated
wines strongly reminiscent of the Rhone Valley, redolent with spice,
pepper, liquorice and game. Yet however diverse the fruit flavours
may be, there is a common thread in the elegance and fine tannins,
no doubt deriving from the cool conditions under which the grapes
ripen. Yet another unifying force has been the willingness of the
winemakers of the region to let the fruit character express itself,
without smothering it in American oak.
Over the years, sparingly grown and often blended with Shiraz (and
other varieties), Cabernet Sauvignon performs well in adverse conditions
and wonderfully when everything goes right. Then blackcurrant, blackberry
and even raspberry flavours run riot without threatening that elegant,
regional style.
Sparingly grown, the region's Riesling is high quality wine. The
style shows tropical/lime juice aroma and flavour in the warmer
years, and reserved, toasty wines in the cooler vintages.
As with Riesling, Chardonnay is sparingly gown and made, a situation
which pays tribute to the quality of the Shiraz (and the Cabernet
Sauvignon) rather than reflecting any shortcoming in the quality
of the Chardonnay. That which is made and released is moderately
intense, with a mix of citrus, white peach and cashew nut flavours.
King
Valley.
Cabernet
Sauvignon, the most widely planted variety in the King Valley, has
its strongest foothold, as one would expect, in the low to intermediate
elevations. It ripens readily, producing the typically large yields
of the region. Resultant wines are soft but flavoursome, making
excellent blend components for commercial Cabernet Sauvignon designed
for early consumption. The flavours are in the sweet berry spectrum,
with just a hint of mintiness and more herbaceous notes. The substantial
quantities of Merlot fulfil a similar role; by the nature of the
variety, it is, if anything, even softer than the Cabernet Sauvignon.
Chardonnay has now overtaken Riesling as the major white grape of
the region producing both table and sparkling wine. In both guises
much is blended by the numerous extra-valley purchasers; by far
the greatest amount of Chardonnay bearing the King Valley Geographic
Indication is produced by Brown Brothers, with Miranda being the
next most important producer specifically recognising the origin.
The wine is soft and rich, with yellow peach, fig and tropical fruit
flavours, and tends to be relatively quick developing.
Macedon
Ranges.
With one
exception, all of the most recent plantings in the Macedon Ranges
have been of chardonnay and pinot noir (which have doubled in the
past few years). The exception is shiraz, which is a favoured variety
both in the northern parts of the Macedon Ranges and at Sunbury.
Given that it is a relatively late ripening variety generally found
(and often considered to do best in) warm to hot regions, this may
come as a surprise, but Virgin Hills, Knight granite Hills and Craiglee
(the latter in Sunbury) were the first three Australian wineries
now joined by Cobaw Ridge to introduce consumers to the striking
pepper, spice, liquorice and black cherry aromas and flavours of
genuinely cool climate shiraz. At times eerily similar to the wines
of the Northern Rhone Valley of France, this style has added a third
dimension to Shiraz in Australia.
Pinot Noir is used both to produce sparkling and table wines, arguably
with equal success. Here the logic of the match of climate and wine
style is immediately obvious, with both old and new arrivals producing
wines of unimpeachable varietal character. Fine and tending to lighter
bodied in style in the cooler vintages, these are wines of genuine
merit in the overall scheme of Australian wines.
Mornington
Peninsula.
There
is enormous range and depth and style of the region's Pinot Noirs,
ranging from hauntingly delicate to intense and lingering. The constant
factor is the bell-clear varietal character; as the majority are
at the lighter end of the spectrum, that varietal clarity is all
the more pronounced. Such wines are best enjoyed within two or three
years of vintage and are a fine advertisement for the variety. Almost
all the Cabernets are in fact blended with up to 20 per cent Merlot
and Cabernet Franc, a practice which accentuates the natural tendency
to suppleness and elegance: these are the equivalent of the right
bank of the Gironde in Bordeaux (St Emilion and Pomerol) compared
to the left bank (Haut Medoc and Graves) of - say - Coonawarra (South
Australia). The flavours can be intense if not downright piercing,
running the full gamut of red into black berries, but the wines
are never heavy and certainly not tannic. Chardonnay is the Mornington
Peninsula's most distinctive wine, which - if made in the style
favoured by most producers - is distinctively different to any other
Chardonnay produced in Australia. The background fruit flavour is
quite delicate, with flavours in the melon/citrus/fig spectrum,
and is very sensitive to the influence of winemaking technique,
and in particular to the effect of malolactic fermentation. Partly
through necessity (natural acid levels are frequently quite high)
and partly (it would seem) through peer group pressures, the majority
of the wines are in fact wholly or partially taken through the secondary
malolactic fermentation, and are equally frequently barrel fermented.
The net result is to overlay a strong nutty/cashew/hessiany oak
character. If the sufficient underlying fruit is there, and it often
is, the result is spectacularly good - and equally distinctive.
North
East Victoria.
Muscat,
from the brown clone (or type) of Muscat a Petits Grains, more commonly
known as Brown Muscat or Brown Frontignac, this is North East Victoria's
most famous fortified wine and conventionally regarded as its greatest.
Virtually unique in the world (Cyprus, South Africa and Spain are,
or have been, competitors), this distilled essence of liquid raisins
can achieve undreamt of layers of complexity as it ages (and gently
oxidises) in cask. Once imprisoned in a bottle, its only future
is to be drunk, for its changes will cease. Explosively rich and
sweet though the great Muscats are, the finish is cleansing and
brisk; if not dry in the technical sense, the finish does not cloy
nor seem as sweet as the plum pudding flavours of the mid palate
suggest it will be. A great winter aperitif, and an after dinner
wine at any time of the year. Tokay wine is unique; nowhere else
in the world is an aged, fortified wine produced as this is from
the Muscadelle grape, the junior partner with Semillon and Sauvignon
Blanc in making the sweet botrytised table wines of Sauternes. Here
in the North East of Victoria, it has an intense varietal aroma
and flavour akin to a mixture of cold tea and fish oil (the latter
in the nicest possible sense). Toffee and butterscotch are also
commonly used descriptors for a wine which has more feline grace
than the all-powerful Muscat, and is preferred by some winemakers
and wine judges simply because it has that grace. Young Tokays are
a sheer delight, and can be enjoyed anywhere, any time, however
much convention anchors them around the very start or finish of
a meal.
Pyrenees.
Cabernet Sauvignon
is the most widely propagated variety, which produces a wine which
is never less than substantial and is at times of awesome proportions.
Some of the wines are more tannic than others, but all possess a
sumptuously rich mid palate, with flavours running from eucalypt
mint through to blackcurrant, and earthy characters which develop
during maturation. Once again Shiraz demonstrates just how suited
it is to the climate and terroir of Western Victoria. As with Cabernet,
gloriously sweet and rich fruit flavours are to be found in abundance,
sometimes circumscribed by tannins needing to soften, but sometimes
not. Pepper and spice occasionally appear, but more frequently red
cherry, black cherry and dark chocolate are the descriptors of choice.
Yarra
Valley.
Pinot
Noir takes pride of place simply because the Yarra Valley has achieved
more with this difficult variety than any other Australian wine
region. Slowly, too, the essential nature of Pinot Noir is becoming
better understood; while many wine drinkers dismiss it because it
is so different to that of Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz, others
appreciate its haunting delicacy and surprising length of flavour.
For those who understand true Burgundy (typically Domaine-bottled)
the sappy/strawberry plum spectrum of fruit flavours to be found
in the Yarra is very exciting. As in the Mornington Peninsula, Cabernet
Sauvignon is usually blended with up to 20 per cent (sometimes more)
of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The wines are invariably elegant,
but can vary from light bodied through to full bodied. The common
feature is the softness of the tannins - they are almost silky.
This can trap the unwary into assuming the wines will not cellar
well, but they do. Shiraz is sparingly produced, but after a period
of decline, once again on the increase. Appropriate site selection
is essential, with warm, north-facing slopes highly desirable, and
in that circumstance capable of producing intensely coloured and
flavoured wines, redolent with black cherry spice and pepper, but
with those fine, silky Yarra Valley tannins. Curious though it may
seem, the quality of Yarra Valley Chardonnay took longer to assert
itself than did that of its Pinot Noir. However, over the past ten
years both the quality and range of style has increased dramatically;
while there is a distinctive regional melon/fig/white peach flavour
substrate to all Yarra Valley Chardonnays, there is tremendous diversity
in weight, texture and richness, partly reflecting vintage variation
and partly reflecting different winemaking philosophies and techniques.
What is undoubted is the capacity of the Yarra Valley to produce
long lived Chardonnay of the highest quality.
Tasmania.
Northern
Tasmania.
Pinot
Noir is a variety which is theoretically perfectly suited and which
regularly produces soft, luscious and strongly perfumed wines. Pipers
River is not a consistent dry red style Pinot region but in some
years it really can produce the goods spectacularly. As is increasingly
obvious all around the world, especially in Burgundy (France), it
appears that you cannot have both when talking Pinot Noir. The Tamar
Valley on the other hand, tends to produce wines with less perfume
and more backbone regularly of outstanding varietal quality and
style. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot flourish in the Tamar Valley,
producing wines of at times unexpectedly dense and ripe aromas and
flavours, and with considerable extract and very fine tannins. Most
Pipers River producers source their Cabernet Sauvignon from the
Tamar Valley. Pipers River consistently produces some of this country's
finest Riesling which generally repay cellaring for a decade or
more with its intensity and character unfolding as the years go
by.
Southern
Tasmania.
Pinot Noir is the most predominant variety of the South outnumbering
Chardonnay two to one. It is by far the most important red variety
in all subregions except the Coal River where Cabernet Sauvignon
and Merlot shine. Some of Australia's most spectacularly rich, ripe
and full Pinot Noirs have come from the East Coast and the Huon
Valley, deeply colored, with strong spiced plum aromas and flavours,
and with an above average capacity to develop in bottle.
The Coal River and the East Coast are Southern Tasmania's answer
to the Tamar Valley; each region produces solidly structured Cabernets
and Merlots which, particularly in warmer vintages, the herbal/grassy/minty
characters are found in cool grown Cabernets. Fine tannins and good
acidity are hallmarks of the wines.
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