gary’ s corner
By Gary Hewitt, Sommelier( ISG, CMS), CWE
Australian Classics
For a seemingly young wine nation, Australia has a remarkable number of classic wines. Perhaps this is due to a lack of disruption by war, economic calamity, or rampant vineyard disease, as were endured by European vineyards. Or perhaps their pragmatic avoidance of the strongest temperance measures, as imposed in neighbouring New Zealand and most famously in the USA, allowed unfettered evolution of the wine trade. Or perhaps, the Australian can-do attitude simply came to the fore in a perfect storm of technology and taste.
Australian classics do not depend on unique grape varieties, as there are no indigenous vines. Instead, Aussie character emerges from unique growing conditions and unique approaches to wine production.
Early and still persistent classics are the fortified liqueur dessert wines from around the towns of Rutherglen and Glenrowan in northeast Victoria. These ageless sweet“ sticky” wines, made from a local clone called Brown Muscat or from Tokay( called Muscadelle in France), emerged during the Australian Gold Rush. Semiraisined grapes are partially fermented, fortified with high-proof grape spirit and barrel-aged in a unique hybrid system part Sherry solera and part Madeira bake. Sweet enough to serve with any dessert or as dessert, their unctuous dried-fruit character and never-ending finish are entirely unique.
The most famous classic dry white wine is certainly Hunter Valley Semillon. A cloudy, semi-tropical climate— highly unusual for a fine wine district— led winemakers to create lower alcohol( as little as 10 per cent) wines with youthful, taut citrus flavours that yield to nutty, beeswax and honey marvels over 10 – 20 years of aging. More recently, the fine pedigree of dry Riesling from Clare Valley has gained international attention for intense, aromatically transparent, limescented wines with bracing acidity and long aging potential.
Classic dry red wines include Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra in South Australia and from Margaret River in Western Australia. Coonawarra’ s cool southern climate and distinct terra rossa soils yield wines of rich black currant depth and intense delineated flavours, often with scents of eucalyptus or mint. The surf-mad, ocean-influenced region of Margaret River often creates Bordeaux-style blends with superb complexity in its barrique-aged Cabernet-based wines.
The undeniable power, intensity and longevity of classic Aussie Shiraz can overshadow the diversity of its greatness. Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, and Hunter Valley all claim bragging rights as the best, but stunning wines also emerge from Heathcote, Clare Valley, Adelaide Hills, and Grampians. That Australia’ s most famous wine, Penfold’ s Grange, is a multi-region blend from across South Australia is testament to Shiraz’ s happiness in its New World home.
As is true in all wine regions, classic wines are the creations of specific producers, and Australia is no exception. However, greatness has many forms. Penfold’ s grew into an industry giant buoyed on a sea of over-delivering, wellpriced wines, but their reputation was solidly founded on ground-breaking Australian classics such as Grange Shiraz and Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon; Tyrrell’ s continues as a family-owned entity known foremost for sensational Hunter Valley Semillon; and Torbreck resulted from one man’ s passionate vision of world-class, old-vine, no-compromise Shiraz. All wine is a mix of vines, grapes, people, and passion, but it’ s a rare mixture that produces a classic wine. Australia’ s great fortune is to have mixed well so often. b
A Field Guide to Australian Classics
Australia has no official classification of vineyards or wineries. A wine’ s reputation grows by winning trophies on the wine show circuit and through endorsement by critics. James Halliday, Australia’ s leading critic, annually publishes the Australian Wine Companion, one road map to the classics.
Langton’ s Fine Wine Auctions endows the most obvious endorsement of classic status. The current Langton’ s Wine Classification( 2005) guides customers to investment-worthy wines, and includes 101 wines.
Pick up the following selections from Langton’ s List at Banville & Jones Wine Co.:
Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon
Barossa Valley Estate E & E Blackpepper Shiraz
Brokenwood Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz
Clonakilla Shiraz-Viognier Grosset Polish Hill Riesling
Jasper Hill Georgia’ s Paddock Shiraz
Majella The Malleea Cabernet Sauvignon
De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis Semillon
Grosset Springvale Watervale Riesling
Torbreck RunRig Shiraz
Charles Melton Nine Popes Shiraz-Grenache-Mourvedre
Katnook Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Majella Cabernet Sauvignon Petaluma Chardonnay Piccadilly Tyrrell’ s Vat 47 Chardonnay
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