GotWines.net

Australian Wine has Taken off like a bat outta hell in the last fifteen years.  This has created a major export for the Aussies, nearly increasing five fold in as many years.  Their major wine has come to be shiraz.  The name of the grape Shiraz was taken from that of the city of Shiraz in Persia, where the process of wine making possibly originated 7000 years ago. The Shiraz grape was introduced into Australia in 1832 by James Bubsy, an immigrant who brought vine clippings from Europe with him.

For many years, Australia Shiraz producers have added up to 4% Viognier to their Shiraz to add apricot tones to the wine’s nose and palette.  My absolute favorite three are featured here.

Elderton “Comand” Shiraz, Barossa Valley, Australia, 2002

 
Up is down, down is up with this one!  There are incredible attributes of intensity within a very dense wine.  However, for all the power and depth of flavor there is a remarkable display of elegance.  Imagine grabbing a ripe plum from the Clark Farm across the street, throw in some fresh Virginia blackberries, and finish it off with some dark chocolate swiss truffles from the dessert menu, and you have a good idea of some of the prominent flavors found in this exquiset bottle.  Don’t expect the flavors to die off quick either.  You’ll practically have to brush your teeth to get rid of this finish.   

Torbreck Vineyards “Descendant” Shiraz, Barossa Valley, 2002

 

The Descendant is a single vineyard Shiraz-Viognier. The name implies that the wine is the “descendent” of David Powell’s flagship wine, RunRig.  The wine exhibits tar and black olive, offset wonderfully by the jasmine and apricot aromatics of Viognier. Smooth and supple, it’s juicy and slightly jammy, ripe and concentrated, this big boy is what I call balanced!  Try this perfect wine with some nice roast beast for an awesome aussie holiday!

Molly Dooker “Carnival of Love” Shiraz, Australia, 2005
 
The husband and wife winemaking team of Sparky and Sarah Marquis (mar-QWISS) are synonymous with the finest wines to emerge from Australia’s respected landscape.  Here they have created a PERFECT specimen of Australian shiraz.  The bouquet is full of licorice, chocolate and spice.  There are some really cool layers of espresso, raisin and vanilla coated oak.  Again, opulent yet elegant, this powerhouse can be soft and sexy.  There is a silky and creamy mid-palate structure that leads you into a teeth staining, killer of a finish.

Pikes “EWP”,  Shiraz, Australia, 2002
 
It’s kind of funny because despite the label proudly displaying a pike (a freshwater game fish), pike are not native to Australia.  This once again leads me to believe hat all Aussies a little nutty, but damn they can produce some good wines.  The EWP Reserve is no exception.  The owner of the vineyard is Neil Pike, who inherited the property from his great grandfather father Edgar Walter Pike.  The initials of this name created the dedication, “EWP reserve”. This very special shiraz comes from a designated section of the Gill’s Farm vineyard block.  Super flavors of ripe berry, and some more notes of oak here than my other selections.  The familiar hints of chocolate add structure to a beefy finish.  Enjoy this fabulous wine for a decade or longer.

George Shinas utilizes his all consuming passion for perfection and time honored traditions to create some amazing handcrafted wines.   Shinas minimizes the use of irrigation, a practice by which many French winemakers claim, curbs standardization of wines across vintages.   The Winery also employs a horizontal trellis system, which allows for ideal fruit exposure which ripens the fruit to perfection.

The grapes are also left on the vines much longer than on average.  This allows for more intense round flavors. The grapes are all harvested by hand with only the very best quality being selected.  The nose smells of fresh Black Cavendish pipe tobacco.  Some tasty notes of spices and black cherry permeate this beauty of bottle.  This wine stays true to its name; definitely a guilty pleasure.

E. Guigal Crozes-Hermitage, 2003, C’ du Rhone France

The C’ du Rhone region of Southern France is one of the most well respected, albeit most complex wine regions of the world. Basically, we’re talking about a 2000 year old wine growing region located on the river Rhone and divided into North and South. In the Southern Rhone, as many as 23 different grape varieties are used to make wine. Most notably are Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsault and Carignan for reds; Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, Clairet and Bourboulenc for whites. In the North, however, only four varietals are permitted for use in wines: Syrah for red and Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne for white.

Crozes-Hermitage is in the Northern Rhone so the reds are all Syrah and the whites all Marsanne-Roussanne. E. Guigal does one of each. The deep purple, red example is full of fruit - black currant and cherries - on the palate, as well as the nose. The soil consists of limestone, clay and silt with sandy gravel, which contributes a slight minerality to the otherwise fruit-forward wine. The finish of spice and olives is long, but subtle, with refined tannins from extensive oak aging.

 

  

  

The white Crozes-Hermitage from E. Guigal is a blend of Marsanne with small amounts of Roussanne, so it is fat and dry, full-bodied, yet elegant. Floral on the nose, and citric on the palate, this wine is reminiscent of under ripe pineapple. Honeysuckle gives way to lemon peel, with light oak and bright, crisp acidity. The golden yellow wine is clean and fresh with fruit and minerality.

Pairing is easy; have red meats with the red and white meats with the white. Both do well with cheese. I liked heavier blue cheeses with Syrah and some softer milder brie with the Marsanne. I like duck with either, though not with the same accompaniments. Try mushrooms and demi-glace with the red, pasta and a light tomato sauce with the white. As always, the pairing of a nice cigar should never go overlooked.

Crozes-Hermitage has rich soil, which is thought of as being easier to work with than its neighbors. This fact, along with being the largest region of the Northern Rh? helps to produce quality wines at a good price. E. Guigal’s red and white are both priced around $20-$25. Perhaps my favorite producer in the Rh?onethey do some pricier stuff as well. Look for their Hermitage at about 60 bucks and the Chau de A’mpuis from CR at around $140.

Monticello Vineyards Rose of Syrah, 2004, Napa Valley, California 

Ok, I know what you?re thinking. How could a guy who claims to have a knowledge of fine wines, and a discriminating palate, truly be drinking, and reviewing, a pink wine. Well, first of all, this ain’t no White Zin. And second of all, real men drink pink, especially dry rose. It’s a perfect summertime wine, an ideal accompaniment for any barbeque and when it’s done well it can have muscle, depth of character and elegance. The Corley family at Monticello Vineyards is just the group to handle this task.

At my wine bar in Columbia, Maryland we have the exclusive retail rights for Monticello wines in the state, so of course we love all of their products. However, in the midst of their wide range of world renowned reds, I fear their gorgeous roseay be going underappreciated. The nose of this wine is floral, with rose petals and hints of cranberries. On the palate are sweeter fruit like strawberries and cherries, though the wine is definitely dry with its crisp, refreshing acidity. Stainless steel fermenting and neutral oak aging make for a clean finish.

This wine is the perfect pairing for nothing more than a warm summer day, though it’s great with any seafood dish. Try it with fruit salad, lamb chops with fresh herbs or any fowl. For dessert, mild cheeses and figs.

Even a quality rose isn’t likely to hurt your wallet too badly. Monticello gets about $16 for this example, though if you want it in Maryland to go with your crabs this summer, you?ll have to get it from us at the Iron Bridge Wine Co.

I had a pleasant surprise over the weekend.  I was visiting a friend north of Baltimore and I picked up a staple wine to enjoy with dinner.  To tell the truth, I had no real expecations.  The wine is inexpensive so I assumed it would be like many mass production wines… mediocre taste, hard core after taste, no real body to speak of. 

 I was very mistaken.  For a mass production wine, the Blue Marlin Shiraz knocked our socks off.  True, it had less body than specialized wines but it had great legs, a great nose, and no harsh after taste.  All for a very moderate price.  If you are looking for a great buy and a wine you can enjoy with friends, try Blue Marlin Shiraz and hopefully you will be as pleasantly surprised as we were.

From off the coast of Australia comes Blue Marlin: Big, bold, with brilliant coloring and a rich appearance. The Blue Marlin is the strongest and fastest member of the trophy-garnering marlin family, and a symbol of these fruit-forward, full-bodied wines with bold varietal characteristics and soft tannins.

For your active, social lifestyle, Blue Marlin Chardonnay, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot are made from fruit grown in vineyards in South East Australia This area is known for its outstanding fruit quality that makes well-rounded wines for everyday enjoyment. The wines are available in edgy, iconic blue magnum bottles at a suggested retail price of $8.99-10.99.

Torbreck “Woodcutters” Shiraz, 2004, Barossa Valley, Australia

Okay so this wine can’t sing, but you will after a bottle or two! The name Woodcutters stems from when winemaker David Powell spent several years working in the Scottish Highlands as a lumberjack or woodcutter in the Torbreck forest. The Woodcutters Red, like all Torbreck wines, sources fruit from hand harvested and hand tended, low yielding vines. It is fermented and gently pressed, then aged for 12 months in large format seasoned barrels and foudres. Not for the faint of heart, this shiraz boasts 14.5% alcohol content!!!

Click read more for the complete story…

?The 2004 Woodcutters Shiraz is a 20,000-case cuvee aged completely in old wood. Pure blackberry liqueur intermixed with hints of charcoal, tar, and pepper jump from the glass of this soft, velvety-textured, opulent, fruit-filled Shiraz. Amazingly complex for its price, this lusty, appealing, hedonist?s dream is worth buying by the case. Drink it over the next 4-5 years. David Powell, unquestionably one of the world?s finest wine producers, has an uncanny ability to discover old vine Barossa vineyards, and then secure long term contracts for their fruit. It is amazing that such high quality sources have not already been plucked by Australia?s giant wine corporations. Torbreck?s wines continue to get better and better, combining the old vine ripe fruit of Barossa with a European sensitivity to elegance and balance.? ?Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, October 2005.

I don’t know about Randy, Paula or Simon… but Robert Parker gave this wine 91 points!!!!

$23 / bottle