Buying guide: Shiraz (imports vs local)
Leading winemaker Rianie Strydom admits to being not overly familiar with Shiraz. After 10 vintages at Morgenhof in the Simonsberg ward of Stellenbosch, she found herself at Helderberg property Haskell Vineyards (formerly Dombeya) in January 2005, with part of her brief being to make a standout example of this particular variety. Assess what currently constitutes the category of local Shiraz and it is not at all clear what stylistic direction Strydom should follow. The WINE magazine Shiraz Challenge may date from 2004, but it is too early to draw any definitive conclusions just yet. Thus was mooted a comparative tasting of wines from the Rhône, the spiritual home of Shiraz, from Australia, the New World country that has done most to make the grape its own, and from South Africa.
SOURCING THE WINES
Underpinning the exercise was the notion that it should be an exploration of style rather than an "Us vs. Them" shoot-out. Consequently, effort was made to arrive at a selection of wines with a wide range of origins rather than those that had performed best in competition.
Fine Rhône is relatively well represented by local agents so appropriate examples were not hard to get. As for the South African contingent, most local wineries were only too happy to participate, although Sadie Family Wines, makers of the cult Columella label, were above it all, as ever.
What made deciding on the South African wines to feature somewhat awkward is precisely the state of flux that the category currently finds itself in. With no real style dominating and most of the plantings less than 10 years old, identifying suitable candidates required a good degree of speculation as to which producers might prove to be more than one-hit wonders.
Sourcing the wide array of Australian wines that featured in the tasting was entirely thanks to Haskell Vineyards, which is a cosmopolitan set-up, to say the least. The owner is Preston Haskell, an American who runs a successful property development business in Moscow, while CEO is Grant Dodd, a former professional golfer who together with Haskell runs a fi ne wine export business out of Queensland, Australia.
Dodd was thus the key figure in sourcing the Aussie stuff. "Most people associate Australian Shiraz with Barossa and McLaren Vale, but there are a lot of cool-climate styles that the country also does very well yet get little attention in the 'international' press," he commented. Included in the line-up were wines from such acclaimed producers as Dalwhinnie, Clonakilla, Henschke and Giaconda. "These guys never enter competitions and frankly they've no need to, but their wines are uniquely representative of their 'place'."
METHODOLOGY
No great attempt was made to balance the numbers in terms of how many wines each country had represented. In the end, there were 11 Rhône, 20 Australian and 15 South African wines.
The age span of wines featured was limited to 10 years (nothing older than the 1995 vintage) although ultimately Boekenhoutskloof 1997 was the oldest submitted. Were we to have sourced wines from any further back, the danger was that at least some of the panel members would've been able to guess the identity of particular wines. (The reputation of the 1994 vintage from Stellenzicht precedes it, for instance.)
The tasting consisted of two flights, with the first consisting of 18 wines from the 2001 vintage and back, which allowed panel members to see the effect of development. Here the thinking was that if there is anything to be said for "terroir" (or place of origin), it is only going to express itself after primary character has been replaced by some secondary. The second flight included 28 wines from 2002 and forwards, with these still very much in the full fl ush of youth.
THE VERDICT
With all the wines having been previously recognised for their quality in one forum or another, the panel was faced by the intellectually demanding task of separating them according to stylistics.
With the point of the exercise being to lend some direction to the South African wine industry, it was agreed that whatever style the panel most preferred, it should be not just aesthetically interesting but also commercially viable. It was not suffi cient that the top wines appealed only to a small group of industry professionals but they should also find favour with the public at large.
In the end, the wines that were most highly rated were typically those made in a more refi ned style, exhibiting intense aromatics (both floral and peppery) while being medium rather than full-bodied on the palate, with fruit that was ripe but not ultra-ripe. There might be a following for wines showing extreme fruit power in some quarters, but this panel felt that those showing more fi nesse would at the very least be more food-friendly.
In this regard, Graillot La Guiraude Crozes Hermitage 2004 was exemplary. Dodd referred to it as a wine of "ethereal beauty", while panel chairman Michael Fridjhon asked rhetorically, "How much more can you expect from red wine?" While the panel tended to gravitate towards the wines with complex aromatics and more elegant palates, the more powerful were not completely illegitimate on condition that they showed balance. Torbreck The Factor Shiraz 2003 from Barossa Valley in South Australia was typical of the area in being opulent, rich and concentrated while the Seppelt St Peters Shiraz 2001 from Great Western in Victoria was in a similar style. Both rated 41/2 Stars.
The two best performing South African wines were the 1997 and 2004 vintages of Boekenhoutskloof, at 41/2 Stars. This might appear cheering for those who like to posit some connections between growing conditions and resulting wine styles, but it should be noted that while the two wines bear some resemblance, grapes for the first came from Somerset West and for the second from Wellington. It appears cellar technique rather than terroir is the determining factor in this instance.
While the panel tried to ensure that the tasting did not become a surrogate competition, comparisons between countries are inevitable. Consequently, the observation is made that out of the 23 wines to rate 4 Stars or better, 12 were Australian (or 60% of the wines included from that country), seven French (or just under 64%) and four were South African (or just under 27%). Some way to go for local producers, then, but a heartening result nonetheless.
GRAILLOT LA GUIRAUDE CROZES HERMITAGE 2004
RETAIL PRICE: R225 (RECIPROCAL)
A wine of ethereal beauty. Complex nose with red and black fruit, some fl oral notes (lily and rose) as well as intense white pepper. Palate is dense without being weighty. Excellent balance between fruit, acid and tannins that are firm but elegant and textured. Vivacious in the mouth with a long fi nish. Keep for 2 to 7 years.
MF 18 RS 17 GD 18 CW 19 CE 18
GRAILLOT SAINT-JOSEPH 2004
RETAIL PRICE: R185 (RECIPROCAL)
Very attractive aromatics including red fruit, perfume and pepper. Palate almost light bodied but very harmonious with sweet red fruit and spicy, slightly austere tannins. Well balanced and elegant. Keep for 2 to 5 years.
MF 16.5 RS 16 GD 16 CW 19 CE 18
BOEKENHOUTSKLOOF SYRAH 2004
REGION: WELLINGTON, W CAPE
APPROXIMATE RETAIL PRICE: R200
Red fruit and white pepper bouquet that follows to the palate. Concentrated but balanced with well-judged oak. Keep for 2 to 7 years.
MF 17 RS 17 GD 17 CW 16 CE 17
CHAPOUTIER LES GRANITS SAINT-JOSEPH 2000
RETAIL PRICE: R415 (THE WINE CELLAR)
Red fruit and intense white pepper on nose and palate. Good concentration, yet elegant. Well balanced, although tannins rather soft. Long dry fi nish. Drink now or over 3 years.
MF 16 RS 18 GD 17 CW 14 CE 18
CHAPOUTIER LE PAVILLON ERMITAGE 2000
RETAIL PRICE: R995 (THE WINE CELLAR)
Attractive perfumed quality on the nose along with dark fruit and pepper. Full bodied and rich on the palate. Juicy fruit matched by fresh acid and chunky tannins. Keep for 3 to 5 years.
MF 17 RS 17.5 GD 17 CW 19 CE 16
BOEKENHOUTSKLOOF SYRAH 1997
REGION: SOMERSET WEST, W CAPE
PRICE: SOLD OUT
Savoury, spicy with some oxidative aromas. Medium-bodied palate with fi ne tannins. Pleasing development. Lots of pepper and spice with vestiges of red fruit. Some tarry notes. At its peak, should be drunk soon.
MF 16 RS 17 GD 15 CW 19 CE 16
SEPPELT ST PETERS SHIRAZ 2001
REGION: GREAT WESTERN, VICTORIA
PRICE: NO LOCAL IMPORTER
Intense nose with black fruit, mint, cracked black pepper and some oak. Full-bodied palate with concentrated black fruit and a peppery, savoury quality. Still youthful with brooding tannins. Drink now or over 4 years.
MF 17.5 RS 16 GD 16.5 CW 17 CE 18
TORBRECK BAROSSA VALLEY
THE FACTOR SHIRAZ 2003
REGION: BAROSSA VALLEY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
PRICE: NO LOCAL IMPORTER
Intense berry fruit nose. Some savoury, peppery notes and oak character. Sweet on entry but full-bodied, dense and rich overall. Viscous texture and smooth, soft tannins. An opulent wine. Drink now or over 6 years.
MF 16.5 RS 16.5 GD 16.5 CW 17 CE 16
YERING STATION SHIRAZ VIOGNIER 2005*
REGION: YARRA VALLEY, VICTORIA
PRICE: NO LOCAL IMPORTER
Red fruit and fl oral notes on nose. Palate is medium-bodied with sweet, juicy fruit and quite rustic tannins. Also white pepper. Very attractive. Drink now or in next 3 years.
MF 16 RS 16 GD 17 CW 18 CE 17
FAIRVIEW SOLITUDE SHIRAZ 2004
REGION: PAARL, W CAPE
CELLAR PRICE: R150
GUIGAL SAINT-JOSEPH 2001
RETAIL PRICE: R195 (RECIPROCAL)
GUIGAL CÔTE-RÔTIE 2001
RETAIL PRICE: R495 (RECIPROCAL)
CHAPOUTIER LA MORDERÉE
CÔTE RÔTIE 2003
RETAIL PRICE: R775 (THE WINE CELLAR)
KOELFONTEIN SYRAH 2004
REGION: CERES, W CAPE
PRICE: SOLD OUT
YERING STATION SHIRAZ VIOGNIER
RESERVE 2001
REGION: YARRA VALLEY, VICTORIA
PRICE: NO LOCAL IMPORTER
VOYAGER ESTATE SHIRAZ 2003*
REGION: MARGARET RIVER,
W AUSTRALIA
PRICE: NO LOCAL IMPORTER
SEPPELT ST PETERS GRAMPIANS SHIRAZ 2004*
REGION: GREAT WESTERN, VICTORIA
PRICE: NO LOCAL IMPORTER
GEOFF MERRILL RESERVE SHIRAZ 2004
REGION: MCLAREN VALE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
PRICE: NO LOCAL IMPORTER
BROKENWOOD GRAVEYARD VINEYARD SHIRAZ 1998
REGION: HUNTER VALLEY, NEW SOUTH WALES
PRICE: NO LOCAL IMPORTER
HOWARD PARK SCOTSDALE SHIRAZ 2000
REGION: GREAT SOUTHERN, W AUSTRALIA
PRICE: NO LOCAL IMPORTER
HOWARD PARK SCOTSDALE SHIRAZ 2004*
REGION: GREAT SOUTHERN, W AUSTRALIA
PRICE: NO LOCAL IMPORTER
CLONAKILLA SHIRAZ VIOGNIER 2005*
REGION: CANBERRA, NEW SOUTH WALES
PRICE: NO LOCAL IMPORTER
DALWHINNIE MOONAMBEL SHIRAZ 2005
REGION: PYRENEES, VICTORIA
PRICE: NO LOCAL IMPORTER
LUDDITE SHIRAZ 2004
REGION: MALMESBURY, STELLENBOSCH,
BOT RIVER
CELLAR PRICE: R190
HARTENBERG CWG GRAVEL HILL
SHIRAZ 2003
REGION: STELLENBOSCH, W CAPE
CAPE WINEMAKERS GUILD AVERAGE AUCTION PRICE: R350
CEDERBERG SHIRAZ 2002
REGION: CEDERBERG, W CAPE
PRICE: SOLD OUT
DALWHINNIE MOONAMBEL SHIRAZ 2000
REGION: PYRENEES, VICTORIA
PRICE: NO LOCAL IMPORTER
BROKENWOOD GRAVEYARD VINEYARD SHIRAZ 2004*
REGION: HUNTER VALLEY, NEW SOUTH WALES
PRICE: NO LOCAL IMPORTER
VOYAGER ESTATE SHIRAZ 2004*
REGION: MARGARET RIVER, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
PRICE: NO LOCAL IMPORTER
HENSCHKE MOUNT EDELSTONE SHIRAZ 2004*
REGION: EDEN VALLEY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
PRICE: NO LOCAL IMPORTER
GIACONDA WARNER VINEYARD SHIRAZ 2004
REGION: BEECHWORTH, VICTORIA
PRICE: NO LOCAL IMPORTER
QUOIN ROCK SIMONSBERG SYRAH 2004
REGION: STELLENBOSCH, W CAPE
CELLAR PRICE: R115
THE FOUNDRY SYRAH 2003*
REGION: STELLENBOSCH, PAARL,
WELLINGTON
RETAIL PRICE: R155
QUOIN ROCK SYRAH 2003
REGION: STELLENBOSCH, W CAPE
PRICE: SOLD OUT
RAKA BIOGRAPHY SHIRAZ 2004
REGION: KLEIN RIVER, W CAPE
PRICE: SOLD OUT
STELLENZICHT SYRAH 1999
REGION: STELLENBOSCH, W CAPE
PRICE: SOLD OUT
CLONAKILLA SHIRAZ VIOGNIER 1998
REGION: CANBERRA, NEW SOUTH WALES
PRICE: NO LOCAL IMPORTER
COLUMELLA 2004
REGION: SWARTLAND, W CAPE
APPROXIMATE RETAIL PRICE: R482
GUIGAL CHÂTEAU D'AMPUIS CÔTE-RÔTIE 2001
RETAIL PRICE: R895 (RECIPROCAL)
ROSTAING CÔTE-RÔTIE LA LANDONNE 2000
PRICE: NO LOCAL IMPORTER
DALWHINNIE MOONAMBEL SHIRAZ 2001
REGION: PYRENEES, VICTORIA
PRICE: NO LOCAL IMPORTER
GEOFF MERRILL RESERVE SHIRAZ 2002
REGION: MCLAREN VALE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
PRICE: NO LOCAL IMPORTER
SAXENBURG PRIVATE COLLECTION SHIRAZ 2003
REGION: STELLENBOSCH, W CAPE
CELLAR PRICE: R101
PERRIN SAINT-JOSEPH 1999
RETAIL PRICE: R185 (RECIPROCAL)
CORNAS GRAND VIN DES CÔTES DU RHÔNE 2000
PRICE: NO LOCAL IMPORTER
CORKED
HOMTINI 2000 REGION
PAARL, W CAPE
PRICE: SOLD OUT
* Bottled under screwcap
WINE tasters: Michael Fridjhon (MF), chairman, Haskell Vineyards winemaker Rianie Strydom (RS), Grant Dodd director of Australia's D&H Fine Wine Export, with Chris Williams (CW), Meerlust and The Foundry winemaker, and WINE magazine deputy editor Christian Eedes (CE).
