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Australian Red Wine Varieties Shiraz (Syrah) is the red wine grape varietal that Australia has made it’s own. Planted in many areas across the country, it accounts for about one quarter of total grape production. Shiraz is the dominant varietal for premium red wines, with the most famous and full-bodied wines coming from South Australia. The Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale areas are particularly famous for ‘big’ Shiraz wines, with a climate that is eminently suited to the varietal, and the most ancient vines in the world. Although the full-bodied style of Shiraz is justifiably renowned, plantings in cooler areas produces a spicier and more savoury wine. Although it rarely gets the chance, since it is generally made to be appealing when young, Shiraz is excellent for long maturation in bottle. Cabernet Sauvignon, the great grape of Bordeaux wines, is an adaptable varietal that is planted widely across Australia. In several wine regions it produces world-class wines, but these are probably under-recognised (and under-priced) due to the pre-eminence of Shiraz wines in the perception and marketing of Australian red wines. Cabernet wines are mid- to full-bodied and rich in blackcurrant flavours, often with good acidity and herbal, pepper or cedary notes. The wines can be tannic and quite ‘hard’ when young, hence are generally softened by maturation in oak barrels. Cabernet Sauvignon is also often blended with Merlot to make is smoother and more approachable as a young wine. The tannins give Cabernet Sauvignon wine longevity; traditionally, old world Cabernet Sauvignon is left in bottle for several years before drinking. Grenache is an under-recognised quality Australian wine varietal. Originally taken from the Rhone Valley in France, where it is most frequently part of a blend with Syrah (Shiraz), Grenache was widely planted in South Australia to provide bulk wine for distillation. With tax incentives to replace the old Grenache vines with ‘quality’ grape varietals, a lot of acreage of Grenache was torn out in the 1970’s. This is now being regretted, as old-vine Grenache grapes can produce a fabulously supple and fruity wine, either on their own, or as a spicy complement to Shiraz in a blend. Pinot Noir inspires strong emotions; “A minx of a vine” (Jancis Robinson) “God made Cabernet Sauvignon, the Devil made Pinot Noir” (André Tchelistcheff, the most influential post-Prohibition American wine-maker). A low-yielding, cool-climate grape varietal that is notoriously difficult to grow and vinify successfully, Pinot Noir has been steadily establishing a track record in Australia. Planting is confined to regions where the latitude, altitude and microclimate provide good growing conditions. Whilst the wine is quite light-bodied, typically showing cherry, raspberry and mushroom sotto bosco notes, its style can range from lean, earthy wines, through to a denser, fruitier Pinot Noir. Unmacerated (i.e. not crushed and stewed to extract colour and tannins from the skin), Pinot Noir is also a primary component of quality champagne-style wines. Given the willingness of Australian wine producers to innovate, you can generally find somebody making an at least half-decent job of producing wine from almost any grape varietal. The subsidiary components of ‘Rhone’ and ‘Bordeaux’ blends – Mourvedre, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot are most often featured in competent (or better) equivalent blends. |
| However, although not easily found, Mourvedre, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Durif (Petit Sirah) as single grape varietal make potent and full-bodied red wines. Even unblended Merlot, often used to add soft, buttery fruit to the harder Cabernet Sauvignon, is in Australia quite a gutsy wine. The classic red wine varietals of Sangiovese, Tempranillo and Nebbiolo also feature among the grapes grown in Australia. | |
