In
the Intensive Sommelier Training at the International Culinary Center we have
had three Master Sommeliers as instructors (plus one guest MS instructor).
To our advantage one of them, Alan Murray MS, is from Australia. Here is his
bio from the Culinary Center’s web site:
Alan had his first glass of quality wine in the
Hunter Valley, just north of Sydney, Australia, where he was raised. After that
glass, he spent nearly all of his vacations in Australia’s diverse wine
regions, tasting and learning as much as he could. And he’s still learning all
he can. Alan moved to San Francisco to work at Rubicon, with its ambitious wine
program and encyclopedic wine cellar under the direction of Master Sommelier
Larry Stone. With Stone’s encouragement, Alan worked toward achieving his own
title of Master Sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers, becoming the
first Australian to earn this distinction. Alan moved on to become the wine
director at Masa’s Restaurant in San Francisco in 2001 before becoming a wine
instructor.[1]
I
have to admit that I had some less-than-complimentary preconceptions of
Australian wine based on a limited experience of them. But, Alan managed to
make me a fan as he put his homeland’s best foot forward and Day 5 became the
best class of the New World Wine regions.
The Facts on Australian Wine
Australia
ranks 6th in the world in terms of total wine production and it is
the 2nd leading exporter (behind Italy) to the United States. The
population is less than New York state and yet it consumes more wine per person
than any other English-speaking country in the world.
There
are no native grape species to Australia but currently there are more than 100
different varietals planted in vineyards around the country. The top white
grape in Australia is Chardonnay and
other important white grapes include Riesling, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.
The top red grapes are Shiraz
(Syrah) and Cabernet Sauvignon, other important red grapes include Merlot and
Grenache. Muscat is grown to make
sweet wines that Australians call “stickies.”
Like
many other countries, Phylloxera ravaged the country in the 1800s. The
emergence of quality followed the success of California in the 1970s as several
quality wine producers began to gain ground, chief among them Penfolds Grange
Shiraz.
Most
of Australia is too hot for grape growing as nearly 90% is either desert or
tropical. The southern portions of the country are mostly warm to hot with temperate
and sometimes cool pockets.
Australia
is divided into 7 states, only five of them are suitable for wine production:
Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. Wines from these
states may then be labeled according to:
(1)
The Country “Product
of Australia” (no vintage or variety allowed on label),
(2)
The Super Zone “South
Eastern Australia” (an enormous appellation covering most producing areas),
(3)
The State of Origin
(4)
The Zone (example:
Barossa is a zone within the state of South Australia)
(5)
The Region (example:
Barossa Valley and Eden Valley are a regions within the larger Barossa Zone)
(6)
The Sub-Region (Smaller appellations within a region,
example: High Eden is a sub-region of Eden Valley)
Wine
laws in Australia are similar to that of the United States. Most premium wine
is labeled by grape varietal and if so it must contain at least 85% of that grape and if the region is
listed 85% must have been grown
there. If two or more grapes are used and none meets the 85% mark, then the
grapes will be listed in order to descending content. Official wine producing
areas are known as Geographic
Indications (GI). The largest GI is South Eastern Australia and it is the
only region that is larger than a single state.
Western Australia
Western
Australia is the largest Australian state but it has some of the smallest
amount of vineyard acreage. The wine regions are located almost exclusively in
coastal areas south the state capital of Perth.
The southwestern tip is where the Indian Ocean and Southern Ocean
converge and the Maritime climate plays an important role in wine production.
The largest
and most famous GI of Western Australia is Margaret
River. It is 75 miles from north to south extending nearly 20 miles inland
to its eastern border.
South Australia
The
state of South Australia is the most important wine-producing region in the
country and it is responsible for about 50% of the nation’s production. The
recognized vineyard areas include the GI regions of the Barossa Valley, McLaren
Vale, Clare Valley and Coonawarra.
The Barossa Valley is located about 40
miles northeast of Adelaide. It has a long tradition of winemaking dating back
to the 1840s and old-vine blocks of Shiraz and Grenache found in the region can
date back to that time. Barossa Valley is home to the sub-region of Eden Valley which has a higher
elevation which enables it to produce quality Riesling and at lower elevations some of the highest quality Shiraz
is made.
Clare Valley is about 25 northwest of
the Barossa Valley centered around the town of Clare. It is one of the top
appellations for dry Riesling and full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.
McLaren Vale is a coastal region that is
20 miles south of Adelaide. It has a warm climate that is impacted by the
cooling ocean breezes. They produce powerful Bordeaux varietals, Shiraz,
Grenache and Chardonnay.
Coonawarra is the southernmost
winemaking zone of South Australia. The name means “honeysuckle” in the native
Aboriginal language. It is known as the Limestone
Coast and it is covered with a mixture of red clay and sand known as terra rossa soil. The Limestone Coast GI
is more than 200 miles south of Adelaide and it covers the important region of
Padthaway as well as the newly established GI regions of Mount Benson, Penola,
Robe and Wrattonbully.
Other
Regions of Note: The largest specific appellation in South Australia is Riverland. It supplies almost 50% of
the wine made in South Australia. Closer to the city of Adelaide are three
regions of note: Adelaide Hills, Adelaide Plains which are in the same
Mount Lofty Ranges GI zone as the Clare Valley, and Langhorne Creek, part of the Fleurieu GI zone along with McLaren
Vale. Most of the vineyards planted in the Adelaide Plains GI are at above
1,500 feet of elevation so cooler climate grapes dominate the plantings.
Victoria
Victoria
is the southernmost wine region of mainland Australia and it is bordered to the
west by South Australia and to the north and east by New South Wales. It ranks
3rd amongst Australian wine states. The state has several different
climate zones which enable winemakers to produce top-quality cool-climate wines
and riper styles of sweet fortified wines which the locals call “Stickies.”
The Port Philip zone is located along the
coast of Melbourne. It is noted for its cool-climate wine regions and some of
the best Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The most well-known wine region in the Port
Phillip zone is the Yarra Valley.
Other important regions include the Mornington Peninsula, Geelong and the
Macedon Range.
East
of Melbourne, along the border of New South Wales, is South East Victoria and North
East Victoria GI zones. North East
Victoria has a warmer climate which produces full-bodied reds and sweet wines from
the Muscat grape. Rutherglen is the
best-known GI region in this zone and King Valley is growing as well.
New South Wales
New
South Wales is home to Sydney, the
largest city of Australia. The most famous wine region is the Hunter Valley,
second only to the Barossa Valley in name recognition. It is about 100 miles
north of Sydney, its subtropical climate and often barren soil make it difficult
to grow grapes. The Hunter Valley GI
can be divided into two major winemaking areas: Upper Hunter Valley in the
north and Lower Hunter Valley in the south which is dedicated to Shiraz and Sémillon.
Tasmania
Although
Tasmania was the second state planted to vines after New South Wales a large
wine industry has never been established on this large island. Although the production
is small the quality is often high, specializing in Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and
sparkling wines.
Learning Objectives of Unit 3 – Day 5: Australia
At
the beginning of class lectures a list of learning objectives is provided to
the students. By the end of the class, the students should have a certain
degree of understanding from their own reading and the lectures and be able to
provide the answers to list of questions. The Learning Objectives for Unit 3 -
Day 5 along with the answers are as follows.
By
the end of class, students should be able to:
(1)
What is the minimum % for varietal labeling
Answer: 85%
(2)
State the significance of the ordering of grapes listed on a wine
label
Answer: If there is no grape that
is 85% of the blend then the grapes must be listed in descending percentage.
(3)
Name Australia’s most famous wine.
Answer: Penfold’s Grange was
founded in 1844 by Dr Christopher Rawson
Penfold.
(4)
Identify a few GI’s within each: (South Australia, Victoria, New
South Wales and Western Australia)
Answer: South Australia (Barossa
Valley GI, McLaren Vale GI, Clare Valley GI and Coonawarra GI), Victoria (Port
Philip zone), New South Wales (The Hunter Valley GI), Western Australia (Margaret
River GI)
(5)
Discuss history of the creation of the Australian Super-Zone
Answer: South-Eastern Australia, rather than being a wine
region in the standard sense, is officially classified as a viticultural “super
zone”. It covers the entire south-eastern third of Australia, a vast area whose western boundary measures some 1250 miles. The
south-eastern halves of both Queensland and South Australia are covered by the
title, as well as New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania in their entirety. Consequently, the South-Eastern Australia
super zone essentially covers every significant Australian wine area other than
those in Western Australia.
(6)
Refer to the GI that is well known for fine Riesling
Answer: Clare Valley GI
(7)
Identify a cool climate region within each prominent state
Answer: Western Australia (Margaret River), South Australia (Clare Valley), Victoria (Geelong), New South Wales (Orange) and Tasmania (Huon Valley)
(8)
Suggest a wine from the state that produces promising sparkling
wines
Answer: Most Australian sparkling wine is produced from
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but an Australian specialty is Sparkling Shiraz. The most important regions
for sparkling wines are Adelaide Hills, Tasmania and Yarra Valley. I would
recommend the 2001 House of
Arras E.J. Carr Late Disgorged Chardonnay Pinot Noir, Tasmania. It spent 10
years on lees and sells for $130.
(9)
Discuss the Cabernets of Coonawara and its special soil
Answer: Coonawarra is a wine region located within the Limestone Coast in South
Australia. It is known for the Cabernet Sauvignon wines produced on its “terra
rossa” soil.
(10) Describe the attributes of any wines
tasted today
Answer: See below
The Wines
On
the fifth day of Unit 3 we tasted the following wines:
1. 2011 Vasse Felix,
Chardonnay, Margaret River, Western Australia
This
is a clear white wine, straw in color, day-bright with medium viscosity and
minimal rim variation. On the nose it is clean with medium intense aromas of
fresh pears, green apple, and a hint of yeasty toasted bread. On the palate it
is has flavors of fresh tart green apples, pears, and peaches. It is dry with
medium+ acidity, medium body, and medium alcohol. It is somewhat reserved, extremely
well balanced and very non-new world in style. If it had some minerality it
might be mistaken for a French wine. This wine was a pleasant surprise and never
in a million years would I have thought that it came from Australia. This wine
sells for around $50 per bottle.
2. 2006 Pewsey Vale,
Riesling, The Contours, Eden Valley
This
is a clear white wine, straw in color with a tint of green, medium- intensity,
day-bright with medium viscosity. On the nose it is clean with medium+ intense aromas
of canned peaches, fruit cocktail, lemon-lime, melon and a very floral bouquet
of orange blossoms. On the palate the nose is confirmed, it is dry with medium+
acidity, medium body medium alcohol and a medium length finish. This wine sells
for around $27 per bottle.
3. 2011 Penley Estate
Phoenix, Cabernet Sauvignon, Reserve, Coonawarra
This
is an opaque red wine, dark ruby at the core to pink with minimal rim
variation, day-bright with medium+ viscosity. On the nose it is clean with
moderate aromas of black currants, black cherries, cocoa and dusty earth. On
the palate it has additional notes of very ripe cherries, black pepper, cedar
and tobacco. It is dry with medium+ tannins, medium+ acidity, medium alcohol
and a medium length finish. If tasted blind I might have guessed that this was a
$35 wine from Rutherford as it has a similar dusty quality. This wine sells for
around $20 per bottle.
4. 2011 Torbreck, Shiraz, Woodcutter’s Shiraz, Barossa Valley, South Australia
This
is an opaque red wine, dark purple at the core to violet at the rim with
minimal rim variation and medium+ viscosity. On the nose it is “clean” with
medium intense aromas of blackberries, prunes, dried meat, black pepper, black
licorice, dried herbs and vanilla. On the palate it has flavors of prunes,
blackberries, black pepper, hints of dried meat and eucalyptus with a
noticeable influence of oak. It is dry with some residual sugar, it has medium+
tannins, HIGH alcohol, medium+ body, moderate complexity and a medium+ length
finish. This wine is POWERFUL, concentrated in flavor and will overwhelm
anything but the heartiest of dishes. This wine sells for around $17 per
bottle.
5. 2011 Langmeil, Valley
Floor Shiraz, Barossa Valley, South Australia
This
is an opaque ruby-red wine, day-bright, medium concentration, with medium+
viscosity. It is clean with moderate intense aromas of cooked black fruit;
blackberries, black pepper, vanilla, a hint of dried meat and a touch of
tarragon. It is dry with very noticeable residual sugar, medium+ tannins,
medium+ body, medium acidity, medium+ to high alcohol, moderately complex and a
medium length finish. This wine sells for around $28 per bottle.
6. 2009 D’Arenberg, Shiraz, “The
Dead Arm”, McLaren Vale, South Australia
This is an opaque red wine that is black at the
core to violet with minimal rim variation and medium+ viscosity. On the nose it
is “clean” with aromas of dried black fruit, cherry pie, black berries, dried
meat, licorice, black pepper and vanilla. On the palate the nose is confirmed,
it is dry with medium+ tannins, medium to medium+ alcohol, medium acidity,
moderately complex and a medium length finish. This wine sells for around $45 per bottle.
7. 2005 Yarra Yering,
Underhill Shiraz, Victoria Australia
This
is a red wine, opaque, purple at the core to garnet with moderate rim
variation, minor sediment (after decanting), and medium+ viscosity. On the nose
it is “clean” with moderate intense aromas of dried plums, dried meat, old
leather, burnt coffee, brown sugar, burnt rubber, paprika, copper and smoke. On
the palate it has flavors of dried black fruits, pepper, and hints of charcoal
and damp earth. This wine is dry with medium tannins, medium+ acidity, medium
body and a medium+ length finish. A complex and intriguing wine that in my
early years of winetasting I would not have liked as I was more accustomed to
young fruit driven wines. This was my favorite in the line-up and it sells for
around $85 to $100 per bottle.
8. NV Yaluma, Museum Reserve,
Muscat, South Eastern Australia
This
wine is clear, amber in color to gold at the rim, low concentration and high
viscosity. On the nose it is clean with aromas of dried apricots, brown sugar,
candied oranges, dates, figs, golden raisins, buttered toffee, candied ginger,
panettone roll, and honey. On the palate the nose is confirmed, it is
dessert-sweet, it has medium+ acidity, is full bodied with high alcohol, very
powerful, highly complex with a very long clean finish. This wine sells for
around $14 to $20 per 375 ml bottle. I’m not the biggest fan of dessert wines,
but the complexity of this “Sticky” is amazing as there is something different
every time you return to the glass. If you are looking for a complex dessert
wine, I can’t imagine finding anything of this high quality for such a low
price.
Observations
Overall,
I was really surprised by the quality of these wines particularly the Vasse
Felix Chardonnay, the Underhill Shiraz and the Sticky. If your impression of
Australian wines is that that they are just simple bombastic fruit bombs these
would really change your mind.
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