Top 10 Australian fine wines to watch
Australia is producing the best wines in its history. Grape growers are honing in on the ideal spots for specific varieties to thrive, vine age is increasing, clonal selections are improving and cool-climate regions are enjoying their moment in the sun.
In the winery, vintners are becoming ever more retrained in their use of oak and alcohol levels are decreasing, resulting in elegant wines that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best of the Old World.
There has never been a more exciting time for Australian fine wine as the country’s different regions become flag-bearers for specific grapes – the Barossa and McLaren Vale for Shiraz; Margaret River and Coonawarra for Cabernet; Mornington Peninsula for Pinot; Margaret River, Yarra Valley and Beechworth for Chardonnay; the Clare and Eden Valleys for Riesling; the Hunter Valley for Semillon and Tasmania for sparkling wine, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
While tightly held prejudices mean many European collectors have yet to open their minds to the potential of Australian fine wine, and the value to be found there in comparison with Bordeaux and Burgundy, things are starting to change, and in the UK there is a small but growing appetite for the country’s best labels.
While Penfolds Grange and Henschke Hill of Grace will set you back serious sums, if you sniff out Australia’s rising stars before their prices skyrocket, there are bargains to be had on the fine wine front. We’ve rounded up ten wines we believe have great fine wine potential and are set to be the stars of the future.
By Farr Sangreal Pinot Noir
Made by father and son duo Gary and Nick Farr, their single vineyard Geelong Pinot was a new entry in the 2014 Langton’s Classification. Planted in 1994, the Sangreal plot boasts a limestone base and a red ironstone surface.
The Pinot is hand harvested and 70% of the blend is made with whole bunch fermentation. It spends 18 months in 60% new French oak before bottling resulting in “a very gamey and moreish style of Pinot that packs a punch with softness and grace,” according to UK importer Liberty Wines.
Larry Cherubino Margaret River Chardonnay
Cherubic looking Larrry Cherubino is making waves with his graceful wines from the Great Southern in Western Australia. Representing fantastic value for the quality, critics have praised his top Chardonnay’s power, poise, delicacy and finesse.
James Halliday described the 2013 vintage as: “A picture perfect example of Margaret River Chardonnay, with nectarine, white peach and grapefruit criss-crossed with creamy/figgy notes on the one hand and citrussy acidity on the other.”
Cloudburst Margaret River Chardonnay
The brainchild of New Yorker Will Berliner, this tiny-production wine is fast gaining international acclaim. Having quickly achieved cult status and the prices to match, the grapes for Berliner’s Chardonnay are biodynamically grown from a tiny plot two miles from the ocean in Margaret River.
Under 3,000 bottles are made each vintage and aged for around 10 months in one-third new oak. Jamie Goode describes the 2013 vintage as, “Fine, toasty and ripe with some spiciness. Real finesse on the nose with hints of fennel. Stylish, warm palate with nice weight of pear and peach fruit. Refined and pure.”
Arras EJ Carr Late Disgorged
With a decade of lees ageing, this late-disgorged sparkler from Tasmania is arguably the best traditional method fizz being made in Australia. Winemaker Ed Carr was one of the first people to spot Tasmania’s sparkling wine potential back in the ‘80s and has been making his sparklers solely with Tasmanian fruit since 1998.
The magic happens after 10 years on the lees, bringing complexity and depth to the blend. Liberty Wines said this of the 2002 vintage: “The bouquet displays nuances of ripe lime, butter biscuit and oyster while the palate reveals characters of honey, nougat, sourdough and truffle. The wine retains a brilliant freshness and vibrancy.”
John Duval Eligo Barossa Valley Shiraz
The ex-Penfolds Grange winemaker seems to be able to do no wrong, making powerful and elegant Shiraz expressions. Branching out with his own wines in 2003, Duval works with old Barossa and Eden Valley Shiraz vines, some of which are still going strong after a century.
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With some of the grapes fermented for up to two weeks on their skins, Eligo spends 20 months in 75% new French oak and is rested for a year in bottle before release. The 2009 vintage offers “a youthful, expressive nose of blackberry, blueberry and dark chocolate. The palate is multi layered with vibrant dark fruit. Intense but restrained, with impressive structure and fruit intensity.”
Vasse Felix Heytesbury Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon
Enjoying a growing fan base, James Halliday said the 2011 vintage “purrs like an engine in an expensive car”. Vasse Felix was one of the first estates to spot the potential of the Margaret River for fine wine grape growing. With a focus on freshness, Heytesbury is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot aged for 18 months in new and old French oak barrels.
M&S describes the 2012 vintage as: “A dense yet sprightly red with aromas of late summer berries, violets and freshly baked fruit cake over hints of woodland earth. The palate is a deep and luscious explosion of forest fruits – sweet and dry yet balanced by fresh acidity and fine tannins.”
Powell & Son, Loechel Eden Valley Shiraz
The larger than life Dave Powell is back with a bang with Powell & Son, a new Barossa Valley wine venture with his 22-year-old son Callum. Having been ousted from Torbreck, the estate he founded in 1994, three years ago, Powell has characteristically big ambitions for the project, which he hopes will one day be considered as “the DRC of the Barossa”.
His Loechel Eden Valley Shriaz is a fraction of the price of his top wine, Steinert, yet it rivals it for quality. Just 250 cases of the single vineyard wine are made from 40+ year old vines.
Sarah Ahmed seems rather taken with the 2014 vintage: “Rasping black pepper and sensual white truffle notes snag your attention from the off and maintain it from pungent, musky, animal-charged start to lingering finish. There’s a sweetness too, of juicy blackberry, raspberry and red currant, which parries with the wine’s savoury, earthy, gamey notes. Great lightness of being delivered with intensity. Stunning and perfectly unique.”
Serrat Yarra Valley Shiraz Viognier
Priced at AU$42 on release, Serrat has already gone stratospheric and is now commanding up to AU$2,000 at auction after James Halliday voted the 2014 vintage his 2016 Wine of the Year. Makers Tom and Nadege Carson are keen for it to remain affordable and have resisted the temptation to put the price up, but they make so little of the wine, there is very little to sell.
Just 200 cases of Serrat are made each year by Yabby Lake vintner Tom. The Viognier in the blend comes from cuttings taken from Château Grillet in Condrieu by way of Yarra Yering. Here’s what James Halliday said of the 2014: “If anyone thinks Shiraz can’t attain fully ripe flavour development at 13%, they should move heaven and earth to get hold of this wine. Gloriously coloured, it has a Joseph’s coat of forest berry fruits, flashing red and black flavours, spice and cracked pepper, quality oak also contributing.
“The most remarkable feature is the way it refuses to let its flavours leave the mouth after you’ve swallowed it, introducing another level to the concept of palate length. The wine has a gossamer fragrance and a glorious palate that will surely mean that bottles will be intact come 2044.”
Tolpuddle Pinot Noir
The fruit of Martin Shaw and Michael Hill-Smith’s Tasmania project has won over Jancis Robinson MW, who describes it as “thrilling”. Bought by Shaw and Smith in 2011, the 20-hecatre silica and sandstone Tolpuddle vineyard was first planted in 1988 with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Grapes are hand picked and are partially whole bunch fermented.
“Expressive Pinot aromas leap from the glass showing the extravagant, exotic nature of this wine. Dark cherry and a hint of plum meld seamlessly with spice and sap notes. The palate has both ripe and earthy edges with juicy acidity delivering brightness and freshness. There’s a wonderful poise to the wine where the structure and tannic grip frame the fruit and savoury characters,” says Liberty Wines of the 2014 vintage.
Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay
The white version of Grange, Yattarna’s star is on the rise off the back of a renewed global interest in Chardonnay. Like Grange, Yattarna is a multi regional blend of Chardonnay sourced from the Adelaide Hills, Tumbarumba, Victoria and Tasmania. Barrel fermented, it spends eight months on its lees to build complexity and texture. Launched in 1998 with the 1995 vintage, Yattarna is the Aboriginal term for “little by little”.
Julia Harding wrote this about the 2011 vintage on Jancisrobinson.com: “Gently mealy oak aroma but subtle. There’s a hint of orange pith and grapefruit and even ginger – lovely refined complexity. Lightly spiced, slightly toasty/smoky but not especially reductive. Hint of hazlenuts. Beautifully shaped and dense but still has that cool-climate freshness. Very crisp acidity and pure piercing citrus on the plate.”
