Bravo new world

DRINK

Words Martin Isark

After the disappointment of last week’s New Zealand reds, this tasting was an absolute pleasure. Out of 80 Australian reds, there was not one corked bottle, and all but one of these were of a very high standard in their price brackets. Moreover, many were fighting above their shelf price. No wonder these wines are increasing their market share in the UK.

It wasn’t always so. Ten years ago, most of Australia’s wines were in-your-face monsters, with ripe juicy fruit and shedloads of oak. Inelegant was how Old World lovers described them. They were drinkable, but their coarseness soon jaded the palate. Most were produced from shiraz or cabernet sauvignon grapes - or a combination of both. The shiraz would be matured in new American oak and the cabernet sauvignon in expensive spicy French oak. There were serious doubts about their longevity.

But that was then. Grange Hermitage (now simply Grange) has proved that Australia can produce wine that ages well and competes with the very best from the Old World. Unfortunately the price also competes with bluechip wines from the Rh™ne, Burgundy and Bordeaux.

It now seems that most of the world’s vine varieties are grown in Australia and often sold as single varietal. Moreover, since Australia is not chained by Old World style appellation laws, producers are able to blend any grape variety they wish to. The most memorable of this tasting was a wine named Tinja. It was produced from sangiovese (the main ingredient of Chianti, Italy), merlot (right-bank Bordeaux and its famous Petrus) and barbera (an Italian grape that does well in the Piedmont region).

Go out and enjoy them. In the red wines under a tenner section, you’ll struggle to beat Australia.

Martin Isark can be contacted at scot8@blueyonder.co.ukThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

1998 Ashton Hills Vineyard, Ashton, South Australia, Alc 14%, £11.50
One for the claret lovers. This is a mix of cabernet franc, merlot and cabernet
sauvignon, the grapes that flourish in Bordeaux and have done rather well in this South Australian vineyard. An enjoyable melee of cigar boxes, pencil shavings, blackcurrant and damson notes present the palate with flavours from the Old World - at a New World price. ***** Raeburn Fine Wines (0131-343 1159)

2000 Bobbie Burns Shiraz, Campbells, Rutherglen, Victoria, Australia, Alc 14.5%, £9.99
A well-crafted wine that delivers a tenner’s worth of quality. *** Oddbins, Peckham & Rye, Vin Ecosse and Ubiquitous Chip

2001 Peter Lehmann, Grenache, Barossa, South Australia, Alc 14.5%, £4.99
This wine is perfect for a screwcap closure: soft, flavoursome and very gluggable. ***** Oddbins

2001 Banrock Station, Petit Verdot, SE Australia, Alc 13%, £4.99
Petit verdot is a thick-skinned grape, used in small quantities in Bordeaux, that needs lots of sunshine, something that the vineyards of Australia can certainly deliver. Be prepared for a flavoursome wine that’s integrated with ripe tannins and is washed down with mouth-watering acidity. *** Tesco and David Henderson Wines (0131-447 8580)

2001 Tinja, Sangiovese, Merlot & Barbera, Mudgee, Australia, Alc 13%, £8.24
Superb. The mix of sangiovese, merlot and barbera creates an orgasmic flavour explosion here. Lovers of Italian wines should be on the phone first thing Monday morning. ***** Strathardle Fine Wines (01389 830 643)

2000 Lenswood Vineyards, Knappstein Pinot Noir, South Australia, Alc 14%, £17.99
If you are a lover of quality red Burgundy, this Aussie pinot deserves to be tasted. I think you’ll find space for it. ***** Call 020 7928 7300 for your nearest supplier

1997 Rymill, Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra, South Australia, Alc 14%, £8.99
Very rich and perfumed. The aromas and flavours of flowering blackcurrant bushes and Ribena hit you for six from the first sniff to the last swallow. **** Raeburn Fine Wines