SHIRAZIS BACK Great examples of ’s most loved/hated variety are more diverse and expressive than ever.

BY JOE CZERWINSKI

The pendulum of style swings swiftly in the world of Australian . , once broad and richly oaked, swung toward slimness and finesse, then rebounded to become fleshy yet refined—all in just the last decade. hasn’t been immune to change, either. Momentum had been building for cool-climate Shiraz when Glaetzer-Dixon’s 2010 Mon Père Shiraz from Tasmania won the Jimmy Watson Trophy in 2011. Given annually by the Royal Wine Show to the country’s best one- year-old , the award had been long dominated by big, voluptuous South Australian offer- ings. The selection of Mon Père crystallized in the minds of the wine-drinking public that favoring perfume and spice over ripeness and weight could receive critical acclaim. For Americans, insulated by the three-tiered system of wine distribution (importer-whole- saler-retailer) and the market dominance of a single volume brand, this evolution has been harder to follow. Much as fashion trends in Peoria trail Paris, the styles of Australian Shiraz available in the U.S. are just catching up. That makes right now an exciting time for wine buyers. Blessed with an influx of soulful offer-

ings, there’s no better time to get (re)acquainted with Shiraz. TRITUS BEAU

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Kay Brothers 2012 Amery Angove 2013 The Medhyk and bracing when young. Yet, they evolve 96 Block 6 Shiraz (McLaren Vale). This 94 Old Vine Shiraz (McLaren McLaren Vale Victors The Groundwork gracefully into midweight elegance within full-bodied, muscular Shiraz is built for the Vale). Selected from four sites Shiraz is the same variety as , five to eight years. ages. Baking spices and plummy fruity form planted 40–60 years ago, this is a which has its origins in France’s northern “They’re medium-bodied, savory, with a concentrated, nearly impenetrable wall on full-bodied, muscular, rich Shiraz. Roast-beef notes provide savory Rhône Valley. It’s not related to the city in acid more important than alcohol,” says the nose, while the palate is nearly dense enough to stand a fork in. Despite all that, counterpoints to ripe plum, choco- Iran, as some fanciful tales suggest, but likely Tyrrell. “Most years, you don’t want to be at it’s not overly heavy or fudge-like, instead of- late and mint. Long, firm and fo- a simple bastardization of its original name. 14 percent alcohol.” fering tremendous poise, purity and length. cused on the finish, where it picks As Europeans colonized Australia, they The Hunter’s most legendary wines, those Drink 2020–30, and likely then some. Quint- up some mocha nuances. Drink brought vine cuttings with them, chief crafted by Maurice O’Shea at Mount Pleasant essential Wines. Cellar Selection. through 2030. Trinchero Family abv: 14.5% Price: $120 Estates. among them some known as “Hermitage” Wines from the 1920s through his death in abv: 14.5% Price: $95 (Syrah). These were first propagated for 1956, bore such designations as “Light Dry commercial in the early to mid- Fox Creek 2013 Reserve Shi- 19th century. 94 raz (McLaren Vale). Fresh mint and cracked pepper accent Because the introduction came before Barossa dark plummy fruit on the nose, the American vine louse struck picking up hints of dark choco- , the vines brought over were Bombshells late and black olive on the palate. ungrafted. And unlike most winegrowing It’s full-bodied, creamy in feel and regions, large portions of Australia remain Standish 2012 Andelmonde loaded with supple tannins, which make the wine approachable now, phylloxera-free, meaning the vines grow on 97 Shiraz (). You may have to scour the coun- but should sustain it through at their own roots and have life spans that can try to secure some of this (only 14 least 2025. Kysela Père et Fils. exceed 100 years. cases were imported), but this is a abv: 14.5% Price: $83 These gnarled old vines are impressive treasure worth the search. It’s full- to see; rows of weathered hands reaching bodied without seeming overly rich Hickinbotham 2013 Brooks Road Shiraz (McLaren Vale). skyward out of the dusty landscape. They or heavy, framing the lush notes 94 of dark berries, grilled meat, mint As Australian go, this reach for our hearts, too, as there’s a and licorice with supple tannins. isn’t that old, having been planted romantic (if debatable) notion to the idea Spice-driven flavors linger elegantly in 1971. Chocolate and vanilla shad- that old vines make better wines. on the lengthy finish. It’s delicious ings frame bowls of mixed berries in now, but should age gracefully this full-bodied, powerful wine. It Hunting for Old Vines through 2030. Epicurean Wines. finishes long and intense, outlined Cellar Selection. by dusty tannins. Majestic Imports. Some of the country’s oldest vineyards lie in abv: 14.5% Price: $95 abv: 14.5% Price: $75 the Hunter Valley of , not far from Sydney. It’s not prototypical grape- 2012 RunRig Shiraz- growing country there. It’s warmer and 97 (Barossa). RunRig wetter than ideal, but those facts appealed is always complex, and the 2012 doesn’t disappoint in that regard, to early settlers who relied on mixed farming mixing meaty bacon-like notes with for subsistence. hints of black olives and ripe plums. Within the Hunter, no one has more of The tannins are supremely supple, a link to the land and its vines than Bruce but the acids are crisp, which re- Tyrrell, whose family has been making wine sult in a long, mouthwatering finish. Drink through 2030. Wine Creek. here since 1864. Visitors can see the original abv: 15.5% Price: $225 ironbark homestead from 1858 and enjoy tastings in the original . Thorn-Clarke 2012 Ron Tyrrell has made it his mission to map 96 Thorn Single Vineyard Shi- raz (Barossa). Thorn-Clarke has and save the region’s oldest vines, now taken its Shiraz to a new level with owning several blocks that were planted this single-vineyard wine, bottled more than 100 years ago. The oldest patch of only in exceptional . The vines owned by the family—4 Acre Block— 100% new American gives was planted in 1879. this a classic Barossa profile, start- ing with vanilla, cedar and maple Because of the rains that often threaten syrup-like notes and flowing seam- come , Hunter Valley Shiraz isn’t lessly through ripe blackberry and prone to stylistic swings. When the forecast plum flavors. It’s full-bodied, lush calls for rain, the are picked, often and creamy in texture, with a long, at potential alcohol levels of only about 12 velvety finish. Drink through 2025, and possibly beyond. Kysela Père et percent. Fils. Editors’ Choice. This early picking shapes the resulting abv: 14.8% Price: $89 wines into a style that can be taut, austere

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Red,” without mention of the grape variety. Around the Australian capital of Tyrrell’s 2014 Shiraz (Hunter Valley). “That’s the old Hunter Burgundy Canberra, it’s a similar story, although the 92 The Tyrrell family was excited about Hunter Valley Standouts style,” says Jim Chatto, chief winemaker history goes back a little further. its 2014s when I visited there earlier this for ­McWilliam’s Family Winemakers, the At , owner Tim Kirk’s father year, and this suggests the enthusiasm is well founded. The aromas are fresh and flo- owners of Mount Pleasant since 1941 (and planted the vineyard—one of the first in the ral, loaded with cherry-berry fruit and a hint partners in it since 1932). “We’re looking at region—in 1971. Located inland and sitting of cracked pepper. On the palate, the wine is what we did well in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s, almost 2,000 feet above sea level, it’s a cool medium bodied and supple, with a long, pep- and trying to get back to that.” region by Australian standards, subject pery, silky finish. Broadbent Selections Inc. Vintage 2014 was “a ripper,” as they say to snow in winter and frosts that limit the abv: 13.5% Price: $25 in the Hunter. As we taste the Rosehill Vine- growing season. yard (planted 1946) and Old Hill Vineyard Kirk is an unabashed fan of the Northern (planted 1880) Shirazes, Chatto says, “They Rhône. He even took his bride there on their have those chamois tannins you only get in delayed honeymoon in 1991. At Guigal, he really old vines.” says, “They [the wines] blew my mind.” Then, in the next breath, he says, “I don’t think old vines make great wines. I think great sites make old vines.” Climbing Higher Specials Getting up and away from the warm, wet climate of the Hunter is one way to find these Wakefield Estate 2013 St. 95 Andrews Single Vineyard better sites. Release Shiraz (Clare Valley). The Chris Hancock, deputy executive Taylor family selected Clare Valley chairman of Robert Oatley Wines, recalls for its Cabernet affinity, but this the beginning of the shift. “Back in the ’70s Shiraz is a knockout. Yes, it’s oaky— [with Rosemount], we were sourcing Shiraz full of menthol, vanilla and toasted coconut—but there’s just enough from Mudgee to blend in with Hunter. They black cherry and plum fruit to sup- were darker, more powerful wines,” he said. port the wood. It’s a plush, full- Other New South Wales winemakers bodied wine with immense appeal, saw the same thing, and started to gravitate for drinking through 2025. Seaview toward higher-elevation vineyards in the Imports. Editors’ Choice. abv: 14.5% Price: $60 regions of Orange, Hilltops and the Canberra District. Philip Shaw, former chief wine- Henry’s Drive Vignerons 2012 Magnus Shiraz (Padtha- maker of Rosemount, purchased his vine- 94 Brokenwood 2013 Graveyard way). This wine is fleshy and se- yard in Orange in 1988. Vineyard Shiraz (Hunter Val- ductive, with irresistible layers of 91 “We’re trying to show off an elegant style ley). This wine was inadvertently smoke, mint and plum. It’s full- tasted against a bunch of Barossa of Shiraz—medium-bodied, with spice and bodied, creamy in texture and lush, giants, so I may have underestimat- pepper,” says his son, Daniel Shaw, who’s staying supple through the long, ed it. It still held its own, delivering charming finish. Drink through taken over the day-to-day winemaking. subtle notes of plum, cinnamon and 2025. Quintessential Wines. That’s a trend throughout Australia, as clove, plus hints of olive and mo- abv: 15.5% Price: $80 winemakers increasingly search for what cha. It’s medium in body with some Shaw calls “drinkability.” herbal notes, yet finishes dusty Generally speaking, that means less and mouthwatering. Drink through 2028. Old Bridge Cellars. Cellar Se- weight, alcohol, oak and extraction. lection. “There’s been an evolution in Austra- abv: 13.5% Price: $125 lian Shiraz,” says Jason Brown, owner of Moppity Vineyards in the Hilltops region of Hope Estate 2013 Basalt Block Shiraz (Hunter Val- New South Wales. “It’s a style of Shiraz that 90 ley). This is already showing some didn’t really exist 20 years ago.” evolution in its color, displaying At Moppity, Brown farms eight different some lightening at its rim. The vineyard blocks planted to five clones of aromas are floral and tea-like, with Shiraz, plus a little Viognier. subtle cinnamon and spice shad- ings. The flavors follow along, re- “What we’re trying to do is to let the sembling Wild Berry Zinger tea. It’s site speak,” he says. “The tannin structure medium in weight, with silky tan- in Hilltops tends to be quite supple and nins and a softly dusty finish. Wine- refined.” sellers Ltd. Best Buy. abv: 13.5% Price: $15

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Based on that Côte-Rôtie experience, Kirk include Shiraz from such producers as Luke circuit, also says she prefers the subtlety of came back determined to try Viognier with Lambert, Mac Forbes and Jamsheed. 20 percent whole bunch. The Elephants in the Room his Syrah. Clonakilla’s 1994 release included “My interest is Syrah,” says Gary Mills, Knowledgeable readers will have noticed that Australia’s two most famous 4 percent of the white variety, and it was the the driving force behind Jamsheed. “It’s so Victorian Tastes wines aren’t really part of this story. That’s because Grange and first time that grape combination appeared widely planted it can really reflect the diver- Yarra may be the epicenter of Victorian ’s Hill of Grace stand apart from and above the style debate. on the label. The Clonakilla Shiraz-Viognier sity of what Australia has to offer. is experimentation, but great Shiraz is grown Grange is always a blended wine, nearly always includes fruit from is now an Australian classic. about spice, perfume, raciness and lightness.” in nearly every part of the state, and has been different parts of South Australia, and incorporates in Tasting through samples of his latest While there’s agreement among wine- for well over a century. addition to Shiraz. Created by in the early 1950s, it’s a wine of vintages, I’m struck by how the Viognier makers in the region that the days of chasing , in the Lakes region, enormous power and extraction that’s made to age for decades. evolves over time to become one with the alcohol and extraction are over, there’s still was developed as a winery in the 1860s. Hill of Grace is a single-vineyard Shiraz from the Eden Valley. First planted wine as a whole. Its Muscat-like perfume plenty of room for individual styles. Fruit from the oldest plantings goes into the in the 1860s, those vines have been nurtured by five generations of the sticks out a bit in the tank sample of the “Whole bunch has become a regional winery’s flagship 1860 Vines Shiraz. Planted Henschke family. It was first bottled on its own in 1958. As a single-vineyard 2015, but it’s less overt in the 2014 and characteristic for Yarra,” says Sarah Crowe, on a sandy site, those vines survived phyl- wine, it’s less consistent from year to year than Grange, but often equally (or only perceptible in the 2013 by virtue of the winemaker at Yarra Yering, perhaps the best loxera to currently yield 100 to 200 cases of more) profound. glossy texture it brings to the palate. known of the region’s historic . Yet wine per year. No other winery can match the vineyard resources of Penfolds, so the Practically next door to Clonakilla, Nick Crowe, a fixture on the wine-show judging Winemaking at Tahbilk is conservative. It trend in recent years has been to emphasize place as a key point of differ- Spencer, the winemaker for Eden Road, is ence. More and more single-vineyard wines are being bottled, though many pursuing a similar style, but without Viognier. wineries don’t want to acknowledge their fruit sources for fear of losing them “Canberra Shiraz has that lovely fruit to competitors. and spice,” he says. “We’re after purity and Heathcote perfume.” Highs To capture and preserve these characters, his Murrumbateman wines (the subregion Jasper Hill 2013 Georgia’s of Canberra District that surrounds Eden 95 Paddock Shiraz (Heath- Road and Clonakilla) are fermented using cote). Dusty. Firm. Powerful. Just a few apt descriptors for this vintage indigenous yeasts and mature in 500-liter of one of Heathcote’s top wines. puncheons rather than traditional barriques. Mocha, licorice and blackberries Those techniques are becoming trendy feature on the nose, while the pal- among forward-thinking winemakers in cool ate delivers more of the same—dark subregions, along with varying proportions fruit, chocolate and plenty of spice. Best after 2020. Old Bridge Cellars. of whole-bunch fermentation. It’s a reaction Cellar Selection. to the high-alcohol, dead-fruit monsters of abv: 14.5% Price: $85 the late 1990s, which, Kirk calls, “a real dark point in history.” Tournon by Michel Chapoutier 91 2012 Lady’s Lane Vineyard (Heathcote). This starts off slowly, Pushing Boundaries but red raspberry notes emerge af- In Victoria, some winemakers are even going ter some vigorous swirling. It’s full- for 100 percent whole-bunch fermentations. bodied and supple, featuring some “It adds playfulness to Shiraz,” says Dylan berry-tea-like flavors, hints of cocoa McMahon, winemaker at Seville Estate in and a fine, softly dusty finish. Drink it over the next 10 years. Craft + Es- the and grandson of the winery’s tate—The Winebow Group. founder. “It increases perfume and adds abv: 13.5% Price: $61 dynamic complexity.” Seville’s Doctor Shiraz is exclusively whole-bunch and barrel-fermented in Henschke 2010 Hill of Grace 500-liter puncheons. It takes some work Penfolds 2010 Grange Shiraz 96 Shiraz (Eden Valley). Is this to pull a must sample from the newly filled 99 (South Australia). This inky, the yin to Grange’s yang? The wines barrel, as most of the berries haven’t burst embryonic wine deserves to be cel- are completely different, yet they’re yet, but the partially fermented juice is lared until at least 2025 and should almost always discussed together. drink well for at least 25 years af- The 2010 HoG is aromatic and already complex. ter that. It takes its time opening bright, with raspberry and cranberry “It’s dusty, it’s earthy—it tastes like the up in the glass to reveal notes of fruit notes, hints of mint and a pinch soil, I suppose,” says McMahon. grilled meat, vanilla and plum. In of peppery spice. It’s full bodied, but The Yarra Valley’s first stars were Pinot the mouth, it’s full bodied and firmly with elegant, supple tannins that Noir and Chardonnay. house built, with a wall of chewy tannins ease gently into a long, crisp finish. surrounding a deep ripe core. Trea- Drink through 2030. Negociants Moët & Chandon chose the region for its sury Wine Estates. Cellar Selection. USA. Cellar Selection. production. But current hits abv: 14.5% Price: $850 abv: 14.5% Price: $820

78 | WINE ENTHUSIAST | DECEMBER 2016 WINEMAG.COM | 79 avoids trendy whole bunches and takes place Yarra Valley in the winery’s original Polish oak vats. The old-vine fruit then ages in 50 percent new Elegance French oak, but most lots are aged in old, Innocent Bystander 2014 neutral casks. It’s an approach that mirrors 93 Mea Culpa Syrah (Yarra the historic nature of the property. Valley). Sourced from the Tarra- It’s a safe, low-risk practice that couldn’t ford Vineyard (better known for be more different from that in place at Sava- its Chardonnay and ) this is a floral, aromatic wine. terre, founded in 1996 by foreign-exchange Notes of green peppercorns and broker-turned-winemaker Keppell Smith. pipe tobacco ease into rasp- In his former career, Smith says, “I berry fruit, made more complex learned wine wasn’t the shit my mom would through whole-bunch fermenta- drink with dinner,” who set out to find a tion. The wine’s silky texture is an added treat. This has the po- place where he could make the good stuff. He tential to be really interesting as settled on Beechworth, a historic gold-mining it evolves through at least 2025. area in the foothills of the . Old Bridge Cellars. He ferments his Shiraz using indigenous abv: 14% Price: $60 yeasts and native malolactic bacteria. He Yarra Yering 2010 Under- doesn’t filter and opts for about 60 percent 93 hill Shiraz (Yarra Valley). whole bunches. This medium-bodied wine fea- “People either love it or hate it,” says tures a hint of cracked pepper on Smith of his style. “It’s a bit dirty.” the nose, then eases into a range of notes covering spice, plum and cigar box. Dural Wines. Good Granite abv: 13.5% Price: $90 Beechworth’s Shirazes are among the most compelling examples in Australia and some Ben Haines 2013 Under of the hardest to track down. Castagna and 92 Woods Steels Creek Shi- raz (Yarra Valley). Meaty and Giaconda are the other two names to seek savory, this is surprisingly full- out. The region’s decomposed granite soils bodied and supple for a Yarra give something special to the wines, and the Valley Syrah. Blackberry and growers have a commitment to quality and spice notes balance out the nonintervention. meatiness, imparting a bright, mouthwatering juiciness to the “Power, concentration and multiple long finish. Little Peacock Im- layers of complexity” are the traits that porters. define Beechworth, says Nathan Kinz­ abv: 13.8% Price: $55 brunner, whose father, Rick, came to the region to establish Giaconda in 1981. “Beech- worth allows us to build a lot of finesse into Those regions are better known for their and Velvet Glove) are picked superripe and the wines,” he says. bold, sun-drenched Shiraz than for delicacy mature in new American oak. It’s a style that Ben Haines, the winemaker for Gram- or finesse. possesses immense appeal in the market, but pians stalwart Mount Langi Ghiran, has his Yet, even in the heartland of big Shiraz, seems out of step, despite the revolutionary own label that he uses to explore various style is evolving. that drives it. Victorian subregions. As Roman Bratasiuk, owner of Clarendon At Mollydooker, it’s all about technique. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t inspired Hills says, “We’re always refining. We’re That includes everything from the staff’s by some of the great wines of the Northern picking earlier. Some of the wines were high quirky habit of shaking hands lefty to juice Rhône,” he says. “But you have to make the alcohol, which some people may have liked, tastings aimed at measuring “fruit weight” wines true to their place.” but I’m being truer to my own palate.” and the “Mollydooker shake,” performed According to Haines, “Aromatic range Even at tradition-loving Kay Brothers, on just-opened bottles and meant to super- comes from time on the vine, so you need where grapes are still run through a basket charge the wine’s performance in the glass. cool climates. It’s a perpetually evolving press from 1928, things are changing. experimentation.” “The wheel is turning,” says Colin Kay, Preserving Tradition That alleged need for cool climates third-generation director of the family busi- It’s a decidedly different scene at Rockford must’ve been lost on the original European ness. “We’re cutting back on new oak.” in the Barossa Valley, where the 1880s-era settlers of South Australia. They flowed That’s decidedly not the case at Molly- destemmer limits the winery throughput, through into McLaren Vale and dooker’s modern facility in McLaren Vale, according to Chief Winemaker Ben Radford. the Barossa in the early to mid-19th century. where the top Shirazes (Carnival of Love The basket press, for which Rockford’s Shiraz

80 | WINE ENTHUSIAST | DECEMBER 2016 is named, is from the 1890s. Just 10 percent black wines that are easy to admire but hard heard 10 years ago. At the time, many South or less new oak is used for aging the wines. to drink,” he says. “We want elegance. We Australian winemakers seemed to think Rockford and its owner, Robert want balance. We want wines that are drink- bigger was better and that ripeness was the O’Callaghan (better known as Rocky), are able even in the warmer years.” ultimate goal. famous for supporting local vine growers In his Cornas-inspired 2014 Estate Shiraz, “I’ve been searching for a more elegant through the community’s tough times of the that’s achieved through earlier picking and style the past seven or eight years,” says 1980s. While the government was paying the inclusion of 30 percent whole bunches. Mitchell. growers to rip out their “surplus” old vines, The result is a slightly funky, black olive- We taste Kilikanoon’s 2010 Attunga 1865 O’Callaghan and Peter Lehmann were paying laden wine that marries silk and velvet. Shiraz alongside the 2004. The differences the growers for their grapes. “You need to appreciate it for what it is, are palpable. Despite being six years younger, Rockford still doesn’t own any vineyards, not what Barossa often is,” says Tscharke. there’s less velvet and more silk in the 2010. choosing to honor its history by continuing The amount of new oak used in the 2010 was to purchase fruit from dozens of individual pared back from 100 percent to 80 percent. growers through the Barossa and Eden These are medium-bodied Additionally, its date was attuned valleys. Between the quality of the wines and dry reds, the sort of wine you more to the wine’s acid levels than how much the local community support, 96 percent of sugar the grapes can hold. the winery’s volume is sold direct. If you find imagine European settlers It’s a challenge that’s never been a chal- a stray bottle in the U.S., give it a try. craved as a reminder of the lenge at Clare’s most famous wine estate, Over the years, Rockford has served as continent they left behind. Wendouree, where wine has been made since an incubator for young winemaking talent, 1895. but one of its first alumni was a bricklayer. Current owners Tony and Lita Brady Michael Waugh helped O’Callaghan rebuild He sums up his views on winemaking arrived on the historic property in 1974 with the rundown Rockford buildings before succinctly: “A winemaker’s job is not about no winemaking experience. Waugh launched his Greenock Creek label trying to create something special, it’s about “I was truly, truly ignorant,” says Tony. “I with the 1984 vintage. not [expletive] it up.” hope I’m being consistent.” “When I first bought, there were 30 Another sixth-generation Barossan There’s a twinkle is his eye, but even after wineries,” Waugh says. “Now, there are 140.” making waves is Dan Standish, whose family 40-plus years producing a wine sold exclu- At Greenock Creek, there’s a resolute history in grape growing goes back to 1848. sively to an oversubscribed mailing list, belief in dry-grown vines. Winemaking is He started The Standish Wine Company in that’s the sort of humility with which he old school: Everything is destemmed, acid- 1999, while he was working at Torbeck, but approaches every day. adjusted to a pH of 3.6 or less, fermented has been on his own since 2005. His focus is The Bradys seem to view themselves at in small, open-top bins and aged predomi- on dry-grown, single-vineyard Shiraz. least as much as stewards as they do owners. nantly in American oak for 28 months. “In ’16, I worked with 15 vineyards,” he Tony attributes the winery’s success to the The results are incredibly true to their says. “I’ll probably bottle four or five. Average uniqueness of the site. roots. It’s possible to taste differences yields are a half-ton per acre. In a great year, “You get a richer flavor at a lower sugar between the various single-vineyard wines, we might hit the 1,000-case mark.” level,” he says. “Wines from here have and they all faithfully reflect vintage condi- At those yields, prices start around $90 extraordinary chemistry—low pH at a given tions. In hot years, the wines can be warm per bottle. Yet, for its quality, that price still ripeness.” and high in alcohol, whereas they tend to represents solid value. The fruit is hand- Remarkably, that ripeness typically comes have better balance in cooler, more even- picked and not inoculated, with a lot of at around 13.5 percent potential alcohol. ripening years. whole bunches retained. We taste through the 2012–14 vintages of “If you pick up a glass and you smell the Wendouree Shiraz, and I note the labeled The “New” Barossa whole bunch, it’s too much,” says Standish. alcohol levels: 13.6%, 14% and 13.7%, Up the road, sixth-generation grower Damien “I like to pick early to retain natural acidity. respectively. Then we skip back to the 1991, Tscharke may represent another facet of The challenge here is to get some finesse into which comes in at 13.5%. the Barossa story, but his views reflect the the wines.” These are medium-bodied dry reds, the importance of getting harvest dates just right sort of wine you imagine early European in this warm climate, basing them on tannin Consistent Clare settlers craved as a reminder of the conti- maturity and acid retention. That’s a challenge that’s been embraced by nent they left behind. The sort of wine that “I’ve never had any regrets for picking winemakers throughout South Australia. marries well with hearty tranches of steak or early, only too late,” he says. “We were getting bigger than Ben Hur,” lamb but still has the delicacy to refresh the As a young man crafting surprisingly says Kevin Mitchell, the owner-winemaker palate. affordable wines in the Barossa, Tscharke of Kilikanoon in the Clare Valley. “Now we’ve In short, they’re the kind of wine I want to wields important influence on perceptions brought things back to around 14 or 14.5 drink. The kind of wine other Australians are of the region. [percent alcohol].” increasingly making. The kind of wine that “It’s easy in warm climates to make big It’s an admission you might not have Americans should be rediscovering.

82 | WINE ENTHUSIAST | DECEMBER 2016