Silent About Model Australia – A Tasting of Older Reds

Earlier this month, I attended one of the crucial distinctive wine tastings of my profession, a retrospective of older alternatives of Australian pink wines. This was November’s Austin Wine Salon, held on the stunning house of Bob and Lauren Jahnke. I vastly appreciated the format of their house, designed for entertaining a big group. Whereas usually I’m requested to assist lead the dialogue by the lineup or discuss geography, historical past, custom or no matter, for this celebration of Oz, I may barley muster a phrase. My expertise with Aussies-iconic or otherwise-with somewhat little bit of age is zip.

My father taught me that almost all instances it pays to pay attention greater than the rest. The much less you communicate, the extra you suppose, and I had rather a lot to consider as this was the primary time I’ve tasted older reds from Australia. As a purchaser, the wines from Ozor anyplace else for that matter-are introduced younger. On the entire, these older alternatives have been spectacular. I targeting attempting to memorize as a lot as I may concerning the taste profile of aged Aussies, notably older Shiraz from South Australia. You by no means know, I’ll encounter an older Shiraz in a blind tasting someday.

Usually, if I give a short dissertation on an Outdated World wine area, for instance, if I clarify in depth the areas that make up the Touraine of the Loire Valley or the soils and geography of the Northern Rhône, the viewers may be very , discovering some worth within the data introduced. In distinction, if I have been to inform everybody how McLaren Vale is positioned contained in the zone of Fleurieu, or that Clare Valley is inside Mount Lofty Ranges which can also be contained in the Adelaide Superzone, or that Coonawarra is contained in the zone of Limestone Coast and all of those said areas and zones are contained in the state of South Australia, I believe individuals would have a look at me and suppose or say, “Who cares?” And they’d be proper. Aside from an examiner for the Court docket of Grasp Sommeliers, no one cares.

Why do individuals wish to know that Cheverny is within the Touraine and that Savennieres is inside Anjou and that the soil of Saint-Joseph is sandy to stony clay, and that by legislation a winemaker can add Marsanne and Roussanne to Hermitage and so forth? And why did I suppose that no one wished to listen to why Terra Rossa is actually distinctive soil in Coonawarra? I believe it may be as a result of American wine lovers have already been uncovered to Australia in any respect high quality ranges, and so they have already got agency opinions about them. Outdated World wines are nonetheless unique, more durable to understand for a lot of wine lovers. Info from a “so-called” knowledgeable helps others put collectively the puzzle that makes up the elusive world of wine; subsequently, bits of information about European wines are higher acquired. Merely put, Australia does not want my assist as a result of when in involves wine, the Australian model precedes the area.

There’s a carbonated soft drink that dominates the world, it originated from Georgia. Does anybody care? Is that why individuals drink it? As a result of is comes from a spot? World shoppers affiliate the model with america and wine drinkers affiliate the totally different iconic manufacturers of Ozwith the nation of Australia, not essentially the areas inside it. It is Model Australia earlier than the model Margaret River.

I found at this tasting, whereas Australia does not want my assist, I very a lot want Australia’s assist and the assistance of everybody within the room that did have one thing to say. Apart for the precise tasting of the wines, the enter that everybody gave was most insightful. I walked into the tasting with no preconceived notions and instructions to myself to not examine these wines to different areas of the world. I merely wished to expertise the Australian-ness of those reds. And I believe for probably the most half, I’ve a greater appreciation of Oz. Whereas I can not say, “Okay I do know it.” I can say, “Okay, I get it, or perceive it somewhat higher.” I’m grateful to everybody who contributed wines to this occasion.

Now if I can simply discover a cache of aged Hunter Valley Semillon, as a result of I’ve bored with studying about it and I would wish to please style it 강남풀싸롱.

FIRST FLIGHT
2001 Cullen “Diana Madeline” Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River, Western Australia
2002 Marquis Phillips “S2” Cabernet Sauvignon, McLaren Vale, South Australia
1996 James Irvine “Grand Merlot” Eden Valley, South Australia

SECOND FLIGHT
1998 Yarra Yering “Dry Purple Wine No. 1” Cabernet Mix, Yarra Valley, Victoria
1997 Penfolds “Bin 707” Cabernet Sauvignon, South Australia
1998 Mount Mary Winery “Quintet” Cabernet Mix, Yarra Valley, Victoria

THIRD FLIGHT
2002 Torbreck “Juveniles” Grenache / Shiraz / Mourvèdre, Barossa Valley, South Australia
2000 Torbreck “The Steading” Grenache / Shiraz / Mourvèdre, Barossa Valley, South Australia
1999 Midday “Eclipse” Grenache / Shiraz, McLaren Vale, South Australia
2002 Clarendon Hills “Romas” Grenache, Clarendon, McLaren Vale, South Australia

FOURTH FLIGHT
1997 d’Arenberg “The Useless Arm” Shiraz, McLaren Vale, South Australia
2000 Wild Duck Creek Property “Springflat” Shiraz, Heathcote, Victoria
1996 Leasingham “Traditional Clare” Shiraz, Clare Valley, South Australia
1987 Henschke “Mount Edelstone” Shiraz, Eden Valley, South Australia

FIFTH FLIGHT
1993 Brokenwood ” rayner winery” Shiraz, McLaren Vale, South Australia
1999 Penfolds “Grange ” Shiraz, South Australia
1996 Greenock Creek “Seven Acre” Shiraz, Barossa Valley, South Australia
1994 Peter Lehmann “Stonewell” Shiraz, Barossa, South Australia

There have been extra wines flying across the room, however these have been the primary ones introduced. I omitted the corked and drained.