Buying guide: Shiraz
South African Shirazes shone at one of wine's recent category tastings … panellist Michael Fridjhon tells us why
Shiraz has become the fashion grape of the Cape wine industry, the orphan varietal whose occupation of centre stage has been as swift as it has seemed effortless. Unlike Pinotage, whose hurtle towards the footlights was mainly a function of South Africa's return to the international wine trade, Shiraz was not even suspected of lurking in the wings. For most of the modern era of Cape wine it played a bit part, concealed in so-called Cabernet until this strategy was outlawed in 1973, or left to itself in fringe productions.
It's not even certain why its status has changed so suddenly, and so substantially. Outside the northern Rhône, Australia dominates the international interest in Shiraz. It has, many would say, the world's most important plantings of the varietal, and by far the greatest number of ancient vines. Phylloxera, which wiped out most European and all the Cape's 19th century vineyards, left much of Australia unscathed. Ungrafted century-old vines are a common occurrence in South Australia. They produce wines of such texture, palate weight and complexity that it seems an almost impossible task to create a potential rival for the international trade.
Yet, given the spectacular growth of interest in South African Shiraz, its visibly improved performance, the escalating grape prices and the increase in medals and awards, it has become an oenological treasure trove as surprising as it is exciting. This year's WINE category tasting may not have produced any 5 Star wines, but it yielded a haul of 4 and 4½ Star wines unrivalled by any other varietal in recent memory. At the start of the tasting, the panel discussed the styles of wine they were expecting, and the features which would be acceptable: there was general consensus that the old leathery, sweaty style might almost verge on the faulty: whiffs of leather yes, rancid aromas no. There was a quest for cleaner, sweeter, more berry-like fruit, an acceptance that the spectrum might range from the slightly gamey, peppery character associated with the Rhône to the thicker, richer, more gooey character of the Barossa. As for the famous "pong" – panel chairman Tony Mossop left the tasters to decide whether or not it intruded on the fruit.
From the outset it was clear that this was a strong category: there was the usual assortment of ordinary wine, but nothing that did not warrant at least 1 Star – an assurance of drinkability. The 2 Star wines abounded, among them many which, at another place and time, might even have garnered a higher rating. Included here was the 1998 Neil Ellis Reserve, the trophy winner on the 1999 SAA selection. Fridjhon and Mossop thought that it deserved better, but were outvoted by the rest of the group. Their comments included the observation that it needed time, that it was closed and a little ungiving at present, a 'sleeper' for the moment. All wines, especially young wines, cannot always be expected to show well on the occasion and even trophy winners can have an 'off' day.
As important as the known stars that did not finish in the top ten were the relative newcomers, the unseeded players who made their way to the finals. Chief among these was the 1998 de Trafford which collected 4½ Stars. This was the Chenin Challenge winner's first attempt at a Shiraz and his wine finished on the cusp of 5 Stars. Other 4 and 4½ Star rankings went to the 1998 Slaley – a Veritas Double Gold, previously awarded 5 Stars in WINE, with no serious medal history prior to this vintage. The 1997 Boschendal joined the élite group – another wine which would have surprised pundits until recently. Even the most easily predicted top-ranking Shiraz producer – Graham Beck, with The Ridge 1998 – would not have been a contender three years ago. Clearly most of the top wines come from a new generation of winemakers, people whose grasp of the varietal is as recent as the new-clone plantings.
The same observation is true of most of the 4 Star results: the 1998 Gilga (an "after-hours" venture involving Overgaauw winemaker Chris Joubert); the 1998 Kanu Limited Release from Goedgeloof; the 1998 Spice Route Flagship Syrah and the 1997 Boekenhoutskloof. Of the top producers today, only Lievland, Vergenoegd and Simonsig might have finished in the upper reaches of a Shiraz ranking a few years back.
Clearly the Shiraz landscape in South Africa is changing at an extraordinary pace. The big names of the mid-1990s have been superseded by another generation, and by wines of such palate weight and complexity that the 1997 Stellenzicht was relegated to 3½ stars (the flagship Syrah being one notch better). Younger was almost invariably preferred, though the few 1996 wines (light and insubstantial though that vintage might have been) help us to date the turning point in the Cape's handling of the varietal. Shiraz 1997 parallels almost every other cultivar from that long, cool and very complete summer: the density of the flavours make it a year to remember. 1998 was easily the biggest group, and within it was everything from the supernacular to the insipid. But it did show that there is a vastly increased number of producers whose competence with Shiraz promises a whole host of great Cape reds in the opening years of the new millennium.
Five stars
Slaley shiraz 1998 CELLAR PRICE: R45 † Blackish with crimson rim. Big, bold, powerful nose with hints of expensive new oak, heavily toasted. Rich, well-oaked mocha, molasses and cassis make for a dense wine packed with savoury spiciness under red berry fruit. Great mouthfeel, ripe tannins. Long, supple finish. Will develop in 2 to 5 years.
Boschendal shiraz 1997 CELLAR PRICE: R53,69 † Black, brick red rim. Subtle mocha, pepper and new toasty oak on the nose, with hints of fruit carrying through to the palate. Raspberry, spicy and hints of pepper. Luscious mouthfeel. Drink within 2 to 5 years.
Graham Beck 'The Ridge' shiraz 1998 CELLAR PRICE: R51 Plum, crimson rim with big, forward, wild berry and cherry aromas. Very well-wooded, toasty with big extract, strong tannins and fruit to match. Loads of creamy flavour and great concentration of chocolate, tobacco and prunes in the mouth. Enjoy in 3 to 5 years.
De Trafford shiraz 1998 CELLAR PRICE: R85 † Deep plum Barossa style wine with brick-red rim. Fennel, plum and bluegum smoke aromas. Good oak and sweet, fruity Syrah flavours. Good blackcurrant fruit. Long, dense fruit finish. Lie down for 2 to 6 years.
Four stars
Merindol Syrah 1997 SIMONSIG PRICE: R109 Deep plum-brick rim. Toasty, mocha and plum aromas with some cassis, liquorice and spice too. Silky entry with lovely balance of chocolate/cherry flavours. Well-balanced wood and fruit. Enjoy now to 5 years.
Kanu Limited Release shiraz '98 CELLAR PRICE: R40 Blackish plum with tawny rim. Complex savoury fennel aromas carry to palate, making for a very good, solid, chewy wine. Big mouthfeel with concentrated flavours of vanilla essence, delicate wood, ripe plums, black fruit and cherries. Best after 1 to 6 years.
Boekenhoutskloof Syrah 1997 CELLAR PRICE: R75 † Blackish plum with tawny rim. A porty nose boasting wild herbaceousness, and an earthy concentration of spice and pepper. Dense, pepper and eucalyptus flavours carry through to the palate. A little too medicinal, and finish a bit short. Should develop well if kept for 3 years or more.
Spice Route Flagship Syrah 1998 CELLAR PRICE: R75 Inky black with garnet edge, this complex wine offers compost, fennel, prune, mulberry and plum whiffs. On the palate: coffee, black cherry and raspberry character; some hard tannins show through. Lie down for 2 to 4 years.
Vergenoegd shiraz 1997 CELLAR PRICE: R35,60 Deep ruby-plum with brick red rim. Complex pepper and cassis aromas carry through to well-oaked, soft fruit palate, with good tannins and long finish. Give 2 to 5 years.
Lievland shiraz 1998 CELLAR PRICE: R60 A Rhône-style wine with black and garnet rim. Green tea leaves and smoky/char aromas. Dense flavours with cherry, soft berries and tobacco on the palate. Still a little green. Long, coffee finish. Needs to be put away for 2 to 7 years.
Gilga shiraz 1998 CHRIS JOUBERT'S PRICE: R70 Blackish plum, brick rim. Highly-toned coffee and spice aromas, nice peppery fruit. Cocoa/coffee flavour. Berries, bright, chewy and ripe. Very toasty, good balance. Ripe tannins and easy-to-drink now, but will develop over 6 years.
Four stars
>DC 1997 (Darling Cellars) R25,50 Kaapzicht 1997 † R35,00 Stellenzicht 1997 R43,00 GroeneKloof 1998 (Darling Cellars) R45,00 La Motte 1995 R45,00 Kevin Arnold (Waterford) 1998 † R60,00 Three Stars Rickety Bridge 1998 R18,00 Bovlei 1998 R22,00 A Few Good Men 1998 (Riebeek) R25,00 Villiera 1997 ††† R32.45 Stony Brook 1998 R33,50 Simonsig 1998 R34,00 Fleur du Cap 1997 †† R35,00 Meerendal 1996 R38,00 Hercules Paragon 1997 (Simonsvlei) R39.90 Bellingham 1998 R42,00 Zandvliet 1997 R42,00 Neil Ellis 1998 R45,00 Zandvliet Kalkveld Limited Release 1996 R63,00 Rust en Vrede 1997 R65,00 Hartenberg 1996 R69,50 Spice Route 1998 R75,00 Vera Cruz 1998 (Delheim) R80,00
Two Stars
Ashton 1998 R13,00 Rooiberg 1998 R19,50 Slanghoek Private Bin 43 1998 R22,00 Helderkruin 1998 R25,00 Kleinbosch 1998 †† R25,00 Landskroon 1998 R25,00 Woolworths 1997 (Rooiberg) †† R27,99 Blaauwklippen 1998 R30.20 Altydgedacht 1996 † R31,50 Mouton Excelsior Huguenot Reserve 1998 R32,50 Bertrams 1997 †† R35,00 Kaapzicht 1998 † R35,00 Vergenoegd 1996 R35.60 Fort Simon 1998 R38,00 Boplaas Reserve 1998 R38,50 Hercules Paragon 1998 (Simonsvlei) R39.90 Bredell's 1998 R40,00 Fairview 1998 R40,00 Neethlingshof 1996 R42,00 Middelvlei 1998 R46,00 Zonnebloem Fine Art Collection 1997 R48,00 Lievland 1997 R50,00 Cyril Back 1998 (Fairview) R70,00 Neil Ellis Reserve 1998 R85,00
One Star
Goede Hoop 1998 R22,50 Hoopenburg 1998 R31,50 Kleine Zalze 1998 R37,00 Steenberg 1998 R44,00
NOT TASTED: New releases from the 1999 vintage, to be assessed in future issues of WINE, plus the following wines of note assessed in previous WINE panel tastings but which were not supplied by the respective producers for this category assessment – Allesverloren Shiraz 1996 (3 Stars, Sep '99), Beaumont Shiraz 1998 (3 Stars, May '99), Delheim Shiraz 1998 (4¡ Stars, Oct '99), Genesis Shiraz 1997 from Stellenbosch Vineyards (3 Stars, Jan 2000), Nitida Shiraz 1998 (4 Stars, Feb 2000), Plaisir de Merle Shiraz 1998 (4 Stars, Dec '99), Saxenburg Private Collection Shiraz 1997 (2¡ Stars, May '99), Sentinel Shiraz 1998 from Coppoolse Finlayson (4¡ Stars, Jan 2000), Stellenzicht Syrah 1997 (4 Stars, Sep '99)
† sold out ex-cellar †† approximate retail price ††† available from the farm only
WINE Tasters: Tony Mossop CWM (panel Chairman), Michael Fridjhon, Allan Mullins CWM, Clive Torr CWM and Colin Frith
Procedures: Tasting done "blind". Wines poured at 18°C. The 20-point scoring system was used: 5 Star = 18 or more out of 20; 4 Star = 16 or 17; 3 Star = 15; 2 Star = 14; 1 Star = 13; No Star = less than 13. Star ratings awarded on the basis of discussion and consensus. Wine identities not revealed to panellists until publication of the assessments.
