©2007, The Birmingham Post
In little under 25 years, Australia has taken the wine world by storm. The backbone of its success has been founded on cheap and cheerful "sunshine in a bottle", successfully promoted through brands such as the pioneering Jacob's Creek and [Yellow Tail], the latest kid on the block. Perhaps their ultimate achievement has been to tear down the barriers of snobbery and democratise wine.
With a provenance of South-East Australia, these big commercial brands produce wine on a massive scale, sourcing grapes from vineyards over 1000 miles apart and using the latest technological developments to deliver consistency. The Australians were leaders in the use of stainless-steel temperature-controlled fermentation, and are never afraid to resort to simple chemistry or the latest know-how to enhance their wine, such as tartaric acid for acidification, tree-bark extract for tannins, or oak chips instead of barrels.
It could be argued, though, that Australia is at a crossroads. On the one hand, the industry will continue to be driven by the high volume commercial wine-brands but, on the other, there remain a host of small producers. These growers are sourcing their grapes from their own or local vineyards, and significantly, are producing a wine with a distinct identity.
In simple terms, the best of Australia is looking toward the traditional European model where soils and climate are paramount. The Australian winemakers now have a better understanding of their terroir, and can identify which grapes work best in their vineyards.
The corollary is that Australia has now created its own classic wine styles; Barossa Valley Shiraz, Clare Valley Riesling, Coonawarra Cabernet and Hunter Valley Semillon, amongst others. All employ classic European varieties, but each is given its own unique interpretation, courtesy of the Australian terroir.
To gain a better understanding, I recently attended a Wine Society tasting at Birmingham's Burlington Hotel. On display were a selection of 25 wines from small producers across the main Australian wine regions.
South Australia is the largest wine producing region, and has the ideal climate for Rhone-style reds. D'Arry's Original was a brand initially launched as a Burgundy, regardless of the fact that it's a Shiraz-Grenache blend. The 2005 (£8.95) is an outstanding substitute for Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and a good deal cheaper, too. Big-hearted, it has delicious blackberry and cherry fruit.
The Wirra Wirra Church Block (£8.50) is a far cry from traditional blends of Cabernet, Shiraz and Merlot. A blockbuster style, it has "full on" black cassis fruit, given interest with leather, spice and a wallop of oak.
The Society's McLaren Vale Chardonnay 2006 (£5.75) also confirms that the region can produce consistent good-value whites. This delightful example had clean, apple and lime fruit, with a satisfying mouthfeel.
Located to the north, the cooler climate Clare Valley has become famous for its Rieslings. The Grosset Watervale 2006 (£13.95) is a latter-day classic that rivals the best in Alsace. With knife-edge acidity, this has pure, minerally lime-zest fruit, with an everlasting finish. Watch it improve over the next 3 years.
Over in Victoria, the Tahbilk Winery continues to produce its wonderful Marsanne, a white Rhone variety. Seriously under-rated, the 2006 (£7.75) has lovely subtle peach and pear fruit, with an underlying spiciness. Noteworthy, too, is the Tallarook Chardonnay 2004 (£9.95), a full-blown Meursault taste-alike, with lashings of butter and oak, yet with Burgundian restraint.
Cool climate Victoria, particularly Mornington Peninsula, has a growing reputation for Pinot Noir. In a different style to classic Burgundy, the Kooyong Massale 2006 (£11.95) tasted of sour cherries wrapped in a silky texture.
The coolest wine region, though, is Tasmania, an excellent location for sparkling wine. Here, the wines show more elegance and finesse, as demonstrated by the Society's Tasmanian Chardonnay 2006 (£9.95), with complex flavours of pear, peach and apple steeped in melted butter.
Western Australia always seems to deliver a wonderful purity of fruit. The easy-drinking Stella Bella Skuttlebutt Shiraz-Cabernet 2005 (£6.95) is a delicious everyday wine, and the Plantagenet Omrah Shiraz 2004 (£8.95) has full-on black cherry and pepper flavours that will pack a punch.
Many of the wineries on show were embracing the use of screwcaps. The primary purpose is to avoid cork-taint, but has the added benefit of keeping wine fresher over a longer period. This works particularly well for whites, rosés and fruity reds.
The only drawback is reduction (as opposed to oxidation), which can give rise to a sulphury stink. I did encounter several examples, so my best advice is to decant screwcapped wines (of any hue) into an apex-necked jug, just to allow them to breathe before serving.
My other concern is the exceptionally high levels of alcohol generally associated with blockbuster reds. Fifteen years ago, an average alcoholic content would be between 13 and 13.5, but today this has jumped to 14.5 - 15%. It's too much for a table wine; and should carry a health-warning.
Part of the reason may be global warming, but vineyard practices have changed to produce riper, healthier fruit, picked at the point of over-ripeness. Factor in stricter methods of sorting grapes at reception, rejecting unripe or poor-quality grapes, and the heavy-handed use of oak, the result is an unbalanced and headache-inducing wine that's best avoided.
For more details, contact The Wine Society, 01438.741177, or visit www.thewinesociety.com.