Given the success of cheap Australian wine–you know, all those bottles with colorful labels of kangaroos, etc.–on them, it’s easy to forget the land Down Under can make some of the best wines in the world.
Just listen to Larry Kaplan of The Wine Cellar in Palatine talk about the country’s prestige shiraz.
“The appeal of these wines [is] threefold,” he said. “They are absolutely stunning wines made by some of the best New World winemakers on the planet. They’re jammy, juicy, outstanding examples of shiraz.”
Second, the wines are made in “limited, limited quantities.” Third, “and one of the most driving factors, Parker goes crazy over this stuff,” said Kaplan, referring to Robert M. Parker Jr. of The Wine Advocate, one of the most influential wine critics in the world.
But Kaplan adds a fourth factor: price. Top-flight Aussie wines can be expensive but still cost less than their California equivalents, he said.
Agreeing with him is Mark Dryden, partner in Cabernet & Co. of Naperville, himself an Australian native.
“I’ve got a couple of people who will think of nothing of paying up to $50 because they like the big, rich Barossa flavor,” he said. The Barossa Valley in Southern Australia is one of the top areas for quality shiraz. Demand for higher-priced Australian wines has been steadily growing over the last decade, Dryden said.
Yet, RonnWiegand, publisher of Restaurant Wine, a trade journal based in Napa, Calif., said the cheaper wines are still stealing some of the focus from the pricier wines.
“There are amazing wines in the 20-, 30-, 50-, 80-dollar range,” he said. “The producers will have to do some extra work to regain the spotlight.”
The Aussies themselves acknowledge the work they have to do given the vast quantity of inexpensive wine produced and the astounding popularity of these cheaper brands, the most notable being the meteoric rise of Yellow Tail.
“The challenge for us is to broaden people’s horizons on what Australia has to offer,” said Francine Bryan Brown, public relations director of Wine Australia USA, an industry-funded promotional board. “We’ve had great success with riesling, semillon and even the cabernets, which have more finesse than some of the shiraz.”
Brown said the cheaper wines, nicknamed “critter wines” by some, serve as a “very good introduction” to Australian wines. From there, it’s a “natural evolution” upward in terms of quality and price.
“We’re not overly concerned,” she said. “There are so many good wines out there and the winemakers are so terribly committed.”
Wiegand agreed the cheaper wines will encourage consumers to “step up” the ladder as long as there’s no slippage in quality.
Brown said Aussie winemakers are attempting to sell the concept of regionality or terroir as part of their strategy. There are some 60 designated wine regions, but some are quite vast. The South Eastern Australia moniker, for example, includes New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria and other areas. That’s some 95 percent of the country’s vineyards, according to “The New Wine Lover’s Companion.”
Brown said the Australians want to educate Americans to think of the country as something other than an enormous monolith churning out critter wines. She said the Aussies want American wine buyers to think California when they see wine from South Australia, or Oregon when they see wine from Margaret River in Western Australia.
“We go from Yellow Tail to Penfolds,” she said. Penfolds, of course, makes the world-famous shiraz, Grange, which sells for more than $250 in Chicago-area stores. “We have wine for every single level of consumer.”
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Shiraz of a different order
Australia’s top reds are as complex and capable of aging for decades under the right conditions as wines from France or California. The Good Eating wine-tasting panel recently tried six varieties of Australian shiraz, mostly from the Barossa Valley in Southern Australia, priced from $45 to $80.
Ironically, the panel’s favorite Aussie shiraz, the 2002 vintage of The Freedom by Langmeil Winery, may almost be the stuff of reminiscence. We got our bottle for half price ($45 instead of $90) because Binny’s Downtown store was closing out the wine to make room for the 2003 vintage.
2002 Langmeil Winery Shiraz The Freedom
This Barossa had intriguing notes of blackberry, black pepper and cassis. Nuanced, elegant, the wine had an almost French profile. Beef bourguignonne is a natural pairing.
(3 corkscrews) $45
2002 Elderton Shiraz Command
There’s a velvety richness like chocolate to this Barossa red. Plush black cherry flavors with touches of graphite and supported by ample acidity. Serve with braised beef, stewed lamb shanks.
(3 corkscrews) $70
2002 The Standish Shiraz
Tied with the Elderton, this single vineyard Barossa shiraz sported a big, plump flavor heavy with black cherry and leather. Slightly sharp on the finish. Serve with pork crown roast with wild rice stuffing, prime rib, steak au poivre.
(3 corkscrews) $80
2002 Troll Creek Shiraz
A smoky fruity Barossa with great acidity and lingering finish. Serve with pork tenderloin, pot roast.
(3 corkscrews) $80
2003 Penfolds Shiraz RWT
Tannic, peppery and spicy, this Barossa has the muscle to stand up to rich foods. Lingering finish. Serve with beef goulash, roast goose.
(3 corkscrews) $75
2002 Penley Estate Shiraz “The Traveler”
From Australia’s Coonawarra region, this shiraz tasted a bit stemmy and green. Spicy with a touch of licorice. Serve with roast beef, roast duck.
(2 corkscrews) $53
–B.D.
Sources: These wines may or may not be in stock at your local store; inquire first. At least one of these wines was found at these stores: Sam’s Wines & Spirits, Binny’s Beverage Depot stores, UnCork It, Randolph Wine Cellars, Howard’s Wine Cellar, Treasure Island Foods, DiCarlo Fine Wines & Spirits in Mundelein, Vintages in Arlington Heights, WineStyles in Woodridge, Sav-Way Fine Wines & Spirits stores. Prices may vary from store to store. Prices are rounded off.
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Next week: Australia’s bargain wines explored.
wdaley@tribune.com
Bill Daley answers questions on wine, beer and spirits every Sunday in the Q section.
