Summer! The barbecue comes out of hibernation and while warmer days trend towards white wines, there is a wonderful synergy between food fresh off the barbecue and Australian shiraz.
Shiraz has been grown in Australia for nearly 200 years with Scotsman James Busby widely credited with sending the first shiraz vines to Australia in 1832 among a vast collection of cuttings procured during his European travels. In 1832 he planted a vast selection of vines, including shiraz, at his then home in the Hunter Valley, which became source material for vineyards in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
Some very old plots still exist today with plantings from 1843 (Langmeil), 1847 (Turkey Flat), both in the Barossa Valley, and 1860 (Tahbilk) in Goulburn, Victoria being notable examples still producing wine today.
In the early years the wine was often labelled Hermitage but was also regularly bottled as either claret or Burgundy.
Through the 20th century a good deal of the shiraz crop went into the production of fortified wines; changing consumer tastes to white and table wines saw a crisis in the early to mid-1980s as prices for shiraz (and grenache) in the Barossa Valley plummeted. Vineyards were top grafted over to then popular chardonnay and riesling.
Within five years, Barossa’s plantings had reduced by nearly 10%. Tragically, given the loss of that vine heritage, by the end of the 1980s shiraz’s star was once again on the ascendant with that classically big, rich style now in high demand in export markets.
Australia rode that wave of high-octane shiraz for more than 20 years, a period which also saw the rise of the so-called “critter labels” such as Yellowtail, produced in massive volumes and sold all over the world.
Reliable, cheap and cheerful everyday wine. Once again changing consumer trends in the noughties saw demand for that style begin to fall back, yet the Chinese market picked up the slack. By 2019 exports to China had risen to $A1.2 billion, capturing 40% of the imported wine market there. Alas, the imposition of more than 200% tariffs by the Chinese government in early 2021 stopped Australian wine exports in their tracks.
More recently, the supply-demand equation has hit home; inland Australian regions growing large volumes for inexpensive “commodity” wines now see them falling out of favour. Prices for grapes lower than production costs see renewed vine pulls.
Through it all though, Australia continues to make wonderful shiraz. They exude generosity, yet with ever more freshness, and are less likely to stray into excess, continuing to have remarkable reach around the globe.
The Jarraman featured today recently secured the “champion red” award at VINUS International Wine & Spirits Competition in Argentina, which is remarkable for a wine that will be available on promo for under $30.
Price: $64.99
Rating: Very good to excellent
The fruit jumps out of the glass, darker berries, blueberry, savoury/umami aspects, toffee and milk chocolate too.
The palate is ripely fruited, yet there’s a drier feel along with firm, grippy and chewy tannins.
Typically generous, with juiciness and approachability but perhaps missing the X factor. Can’t help but feel the palate is a bit surly today and not at its best.
Price: $49.99
Rating: Excellent to outstanding
Exudes richness, raspberry, black fruits, wisps of baking spices, dustiness and cocoa powder. Quiet sumptuousness and depth of flavour, deceptively integrated tannins.
Latent power here, almost brooding, yet remains light on its feet, power yet seemingly without excess weight.
Charcuterie and spice join the mix, the tannins swell, delightful drinking yet potential.
Price: $35
Rating: Excellent
A brooding quality to the nose, dark fruited, milk chocolate, earthy nuances, savouriness building.
Evident richness and fruit sweetness, a generosity of flavour that is quite beguiling, simply wonderful drinkability and great length.
With air the acidity adds a tangy counterpoint to the fruit sweetness which brings this to a fresh, crisp close.
