Aussie wines back in top form by Ray Jordan, FRESH Best Reds
The West Australian, July 7, 2011
Quality of this 500-bottle line-up shows that we have rediscovered some lost soul.
There was one simple conclusion at the end of the annual West Australian Great Red Wine Tasting: there is no other country offering such quality and value for money when it comes to red wines.
Not that it should come as any surprise, seeing as it was consistency, value and quality for Australian wines which really drove the export demand to such heady places in the 80s and 90s.
Unfortunately, the old goose and golden egg syndrome conspired to put the brakes on our wines as some of the bigger companies sought to stretch their wines to breaking point - until they broke.
Export markets, primarily the fickle UK, started to see our wines as simple, predictable and without soul. In some cases the criticism was justified, while in others it was misplaced and resulted in them being tarred with the same brush.
But as I cast my eyes and palate across the 500 or more wines submitted for the tasting, it was not only the quality that was obvious but also that the best of these wines had rediscovered a little of that lost soul.
OK, in many cases these are still wines from bigger companies but even at the lower-priced end you can see wheels in motion to try to create something more than the old sunshine in a bottle. When you tack on to these the many highly individual wines from smaller makers, then it gives some confidence that Australia is on the way back.
One further point is that while the British press, in particular, is quick to criticize Australian wines, it's still amazing how well they do in open competition at major international wine shows presided over by international judges.
But to this tasting specifically. there is no doubt that the reliable varieties of cabernet and shiraz were dominant, although it was especially pleasing to see quite a number of first-rate pinot noirs. i decided to drop New Zealand from this year's event but regardless, the pinots chosen would have done well anyway.
The quality of the last few vintages in WA certainly contributed to the high number of local wines but equally pleasing was the strength of the vintages over east, with the Barossa a particular highlight and the Yarra emerging from a period of slumber. As always, the dificult thing is deciding which wines to leave out. with so many outstatnding wines, it's just a matter of deciding how much to spend.
The process is simple. the wines are lined up on a bench and tasted through a gradual culling process until the best of the best are left. Often as not my deliberation involved speaking to myself - alound - and sometimes i got quite heated and animated. Yes, i know it's a little odd but it gets the job done.
The wines are divided into four broad price groups - under $15, $15-$20, $20-$25 and $25-$40. Where wines are listed on the limits of these brackets i have inclued them in the lower price group and in the higher price group when i have rounded down. The prices were based on all the normal taxes plus a slightly imperfect system because with retail discounting many of these are never sold at the recommended retail price. However, i setled on this so as not to disadvantage some smaller retailers and chains which might not be able to cut the deals of the really big guys.
So to the best wine overall and the best of the best. Tough call, but here you go. Howard Park Leston Cabernet Sauvignon
“Choosing the best of the best this year across the 500 or more wines submitted for the tasting selected bottles this year was as tough as I can remember. In the end this stunning Margaret River Cabernet from Howard Park got the nod. An opulent and densely packed cabernet from Margaret River. Just about the best yet under this label, with its deep, black fruits, dark chocolate and black olive aromas. Tannins are slightly chewy and the fine-grained oak lays a long path to a lingering finish. Excellent wine of great power and potential.”