This blog is based on the Spirits of New Mexico radio show that aired on February 26, 2022. We do on-air tasting of one or two wines to illustrate what is available in a particular wine region, or as a contrast of what influence a wine region has on a grape or blend. We also contrast wine styles as in the current blog. We use suitable glasses for the type of wine and do a double-decant of red wines to insure they have opened sufficiently for accurate judging.
It’s been almost a year since we ventured into Australia. Considering the restrictions in place there we are doing this tour, thankfully, in virtual mode. While we are covering a continent of wine, all the serious winemaking is along the western, southern and eastern coastal areas. We last visited down-under last March and it’s past time to head on back, particularly since it late summer there now.
Major wine regions
In Australia there are only six wine regions, but many important subregions to explore. One could easily say that the southwest coast and the southeast extension of the country is where it’s at.
- Western Australia: The wine growing area around Perth and the Margaret River excel at unoaked Chardonnay, Shiraz and Bordeaux blends. One of our wines comes from here.
- South Australia around Adelaide is known for their excellent Shiraz and mineral-driven Riesling and our second wine comes from here.
- Victoria around Melbourne is the southernmost part of Australia and makes fruity Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in its cooler regions. Loved a Yarra Valley tour when I was there.
- New South Wales above Victoria produces lean, mineral Shiraz and Semillon from Hunter’s Valley
- Queensland above Brisbane is a very small region known for Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.
- The island of Tasmania produces Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the coolest climate as well as an ill-tempered Devil.
Wine production
Australia has 334,000 acres of vines under cultivation as of 2015.
- South Australia accounts for half the acreage
- New South Wales has about one quarter
- Western Australia covers about 18% and Victoria another 10%
High-Tech wines
Australia embraced the leading wine technologies and has some of the most sophisticated wineries.
- Dominated by medium-size wineries and four major producers
- Southcorp Wines, BRL Hardy, Orlando Wyndham and Mildara Blass
- Southcorp: Penfolds, Lindemans, Rosemount and Wynns
Australian Wine Laws
- Grape varietal must be 85% (75% in US with exceptions)
- Regional wines named must be 85%
- Blends of below 85%, each named in descending order: Cab-Shiraz or Shiraz-Cab
- Blended wines list percentage of each grape
Australian Grapes
- Whites: Chardonnay, Semillon (Aussie pronounced Sem-eh-Lawn), Riesling
- Fortified whites: Muscat, Tokay
- Reds: Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Pinot Noir
- Significant blends: Cab-Shiraz, Cab-Merlot, GSM Rhone-style, Chardonnay-Semillon
- Rhone Syrah versus Shiraz. Shiraz more intense, more fruit-driven, but same grape
Blends and Bins
The focus on blends can lead to some longish names since a single varietal must be 85%.
- Clancy’s Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon-Cabernet Franc-Merlot, also the order by percentage
- Percentages can be on front or back label
- Those names can be confusing, but if we applied that naming convention to the up to 13 grapes in Chateauneuf du Pape we would need a really big wraparound label.
- Bin Numbers identify the quality of a wine
- Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon: Bin 407 least expensive, Bin 707 most
- Lindemans Chardonnay Bin 65, very popular low-end wine millions of cases produced
- Practice begun in the 1930s, possibly to track wines from aging thru blending
West Australia Region
One of our featured wines is from here so we’ll put our focus on its subregions. This area is the southernmost western part of the continent. Perth is the major city with most subregions below it. They all face the Indian Ocean. There are nine subregions of note. Map below courtesy of www.wineaustralia.com. Check out their website.
Swan Valley: Just north of Perth and the hottest wine region in Australia. A number of winemakers have gone south to cooler subregions. The first established region in 1829.
Perth Hills: Located just east of Perth on an elevated escarpment.
Geographe: One long sweeping bay that hides many treasures. Cooled by the afternoon sea breeze, this region enjoys a long and stable growing season that’s ideal for crafting award-winning Shiraz, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.
Margaret River: Jutting out as the westernmost part of this region it’s clearly influenced by its coastal climate. The grape varieties cultivated include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sémillion, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay. Known for its mineral-driven Chardonnay and Bordeaux blends. The region produces just three percent of total Australian grape production, but commands over 20 percent of the Australian premium wine market. Also a primo surfing capital with 75 breaks along its 130 km coastline. Surf’s up!
Pemberton: Just below and east of the Margaret River and also influenced by the Indian Ocean. Established in 1913 but it was in the 80s-90s that viticulture took off.
Great Southern: Australia’s largest wine region a rectangle 200 kilometers from east to west and over 100 kilometers from north to south. It has five designated subregions. It’s known for Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot noir, Shiraz, and Malbec. Crisp expressive Riesling that can age for two decades are a mainstay.
What we are tasting: Miles from Nowhere 2019 Margaret River 14.5% ABV, $12.99 at Total Wine
Boy, if that name doesn’t recall classic Aussie labels I don’t what would. And we all hope we’ll still be able to find the winery. It doesn’t hurt that they’ve received a ton of gold medals for their wine.
From the website: Founded in 2007, by veteran wine producers. Miles from Nowhere is a dedication to the Tate family’s patriarch that arrived in Australia from the Ukraine over 100 years ago, and felt every bit Miles from Nowhere.
Franklin and Heather Tate – Founders, have been working in the wine industry together since 1986, but Franklin had his start earlier, planting his parent’s first vines in 1973. Their goal of Miles from Nowhere is for every glass to express their love and passion of the Margaret River region.
Frederique Perrin is the Director of Winemaking with 22 years experience: “I would like the wines I make to create occasions for passionate conversations, new friendships and sheer enjoyment. In addition, no great wine is made in the cellar, doctoring mediocre grapes.”
2019 vintage started later than usual with reds picking in April and early May. This was due to lower than average temperatures during the months prior to harvest. The mild and cooler weather was quite beneficial to the ripening process of the reds, allowing a long stint of tannin ripening. Only the most balanced fruit from various sites across the Margaret River wine region make the cut for this blend.
Crushed and de-stemmed into stainless steel tanks with gentle maceration techniques for perfect color extraction and pressing off skins before completion of primary fermentation to keep a soft and balanced tannin profile. Post fermentation the wine was matured in French oak for 12 months.
Beverage Dynamics-Australia – “A powerhouse of a wine with an intense nose and palate dominated by rich cherry and plum flavors. These are joined by a complex medley of pepper and spice notes combined with a smooth texture that brings it all home.” 92 points.
The palate is rich and intense with generous dark plum, blueberries and cherries with white pepper notes. It exhibits a soft and juicy palate with concentrated plums, blueberries and white pepper. It finishes with rounded tannins offering a supple structure and fruity length.
South Australia Region
Our featured wine is from South Australia with 18 subregions producing 50% of its wines.
Barossa Valley is synonymous with great Shiraz. A warm-growing region 38 miles north of Adelaide, it does grow cooler-climate grapes such as Riesling at higher elevations.
Adelaide Hills, below Barossa Valley and above the city has a cooler climate and Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir are a primary focus.
McLaren Vale is the third interconnected sub region around Adelaide that has achieved worldwide fame. Shiraz ripens perfectly in its Mediterranean climate, which also favors great Bordeaux blends.
Clare Valley, north of Barossa and further inland with vines planted at 1300 to 1600 ft elevation insuring cooler nights for their signature Riesling wines. Cab and Shiraz are also important grapes.
- Southern Fleurieu is below McLaren Vale and forms its own peninsula jutting out toward Kangaroo Island. It is known for its Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.
- The last two significant subregions are Coonawarra located far south next to Victoria and Riverland located above Adelaide and on the New South Wales border.
What we are tasting: Thorn-Clarke Shotfire Barossa Shiraz 2015, 14.5% ABV, $22.99 at Total Wine
The Thorn-Clarke family has been in Barossa since the 1870s. One side founded a gold mine; the other side farmed and grew grapes. About 100 hundred years later both branches joined forces and worked the land selling grapes that won many awards so in 1998 they offered their first release.
Milton Park vineyard: Located in classic Eden Valley country, the Milton Park vineyard has an elevation of between 330 and 400 meters above sea level.
The majority of the 100 hectare vineyard – Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot were sited to maximize fruit exposure to autumn sunshine, while Petit Verdot blocks were chosen for their lower levels of direct sunlight. Positioned among other world-renowned cool climate Shiraz producers, this is classic red country and they produce outstanding single vineyard varietals from this vineyard.
Kabininge vineyard: In stark contrast to Eden Valley, the 33 hectare Kabininge vineyard is true Barossa Valley floor terroir. At just 270 meters above sea level and located on dark grey to dark brown carbonaceous soils (known as Bay of Biscay) red grapes ripen easily. By monitoring soil moisture levels to limit yield and berry size, they achieve exceptional red wines with superb varietal flavor and concentration.
The vineyard is predominantly Shiraz – the variety for which the Barossa Valley is best known – supported by smaller plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
St Kitts & Truro vineyards: Cooler and with lower rainfall than Kabininge, these northern Barossa vineyards of 103ha, are at an elevation of 380 and 410 meters.
This micro-climate restricts yields and the thin, moderately well developed residual soils overlying marble, schist, Truro Volcanic and Heatherdale shale necessitated a careful vineyard layout matching variety to soil type.
These tough conditions make vines work hard and as a result, the flavor profile is intense and acid levels high, providing the resources for long-living red wines and full flavored whites. Shiraz is particularly well suited to this environment. Shiraz again is the predominant variety supported by a diverse red planting of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec along with the Graciano and Viognier.
Winemaker Notes: Deep red with purple tints. On the nose – rich and concentrated dark fruits, with chary oak and mocha notes. The palate shows dense plum and mulberry with dark chocolate and savory oak tannins. The wine is intense, balanced and shows great length on the palate.
Wine & Spirits: The Clarke family farms 670 acres of vines in the Barossa and Eden valleys, which provide most of the fruit for its wines, including this blend from three vineyards. Shotfire isn’t particularly complex, but it’s satisfying and it hews to a classical profile of Barossa Shiraz: With scents of baking spices against earthy red fruit, this feels markedly cool and brisk. 92 points
Australian Snippets
- Many vineyards use high barbed wire fences to keep out the kangaroos that have a particular love of grapes. That must make them hopping mad.
- Boxed wines represent 60% of all locally-sold wines
- Stickies are sweet wines made with Tokay late-harvest using Muscadelle or Muscat grapes
- “At the 1873 Vienna Exhibition French judges, tasting blind, praised some wines from Victoria, but withdrew in protest when the provenance of the wine was revealed, on the grounds that wines of that quality must clearly be French.” Shades of the 1976 Judgment of Paris!
Analysis
Considering the price difference I’d go with the Margaret River Shiraz. I’d give the Shotfire Shiraz the edge on flavor and balance, however. Both wines are very good value wines with lots of juicy fruit, firm tannin and lively acidity that fill pair with many foods and not just a juicy steak. I did go on the cheap and got more of the Miles from Nowhere, even though I’m miles from somewhere.
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