SHIRAZ & BLENDS

Stephen Pannell

2 June 2009

• Shiraz is Australia’s most widely planted and internationally important grape variety.

• Australia has it’s own unique style of Shiraz.

• Australia producers more than 400,000,000 bottles per annum.

• Focused on Regionality of Australian Shiraz.

• I have just 16 wines and 80 minutes to present Australian Shiraz.

• Bracket 1: 4 Museum Wines.

• Bracket 2: 7 Regional Wines.

• Bracket 3: 5 Blended Wines.

A DAUNTING TASK

• Brought to Australia in 1832 by James Busby.

• “Scyras, it is a very hardy plant, produces well and seems to be liable to no accident or disease.” James Busby.

• First planted:

• Sydney Botanical Gardens

• Kirkton in the Hunter Valley

• Widely planted in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia by the end of the 19th century.

HISTORY OF AUSTRALIAN SHIRAZ

• 1978 65,595 tonnes

• 1988 47,954 tonnes

• 1998 135,325 tonnes

• 2008 441,950 tonnes

2008 Chardonnay 428,082 tonnes

Source: Australian Wine & Brandy Corporation

SHIRAZ PRODUCTION IN AUSTRALIA

• Does Regionality exist in Australian Shiraz?

• Is regionality more important than variety?

• In the market place?

• In the glass?

• For our future?

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THIS TASTING?

• Chose wines that express regionality. Why?

• Why is Regionality important?

• It can never be copied!

• Anyone anywhere can make alcoholic,okay,added tannin modern wine!

• Criteria ‘In winemaking often it is harder to do nothing than something’ Gerard Potel 1999.

• Chose wines where the winemaker or viticultural used techniques didn’t mask or diminish the expression of regional characters.

• This is way we need to go in the future.

• Rely more heavily on the quality of the grape.

• Viticulture will become more important.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THAT SHIRAZ?

1. 1990 Craiglee Shiraz (Sunbury, Vic)

2. 1991 Plantagenet Shiraz (Mount Barker, W.A.)

3. 1991 Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz (Eden Valley, S.A.)

4. 1991 Wendouree Shiraz (Clare Valley, S.A.)

BRACKET 1: OLD OR NEW SCHOOL?

• Luckily Mr Busby grabbed a good Shiraz clone.

• Shiraz is a good sport.

• Heritage selections done by Yalumba and SAVI.

• Not much different other than Tahbilk Clone.

• We have been complacent with regard to Shiraz clones.

• 1654 is most widely planted and favoured clone.

• Other Clones include PT23 (Vic), BVRC 12 & 30 and SAVI 17 & 19 clones.

• Majority of our clones come from the same fertilizer trial in the Barossa Valley.

• More money for Neville Farquhar.

SHIRAZ CLONES

• Improve the gene pool of Shiraz in Australia.

• Bigger influence than clones

• Little experience with rootstocks.

• Shiraz Viticulture Experiments:

• Planting density

• Row width

• Fruit wire height

• Obsessed with small berry size and stress.

• Leave large bud numbers at pruning, 50-100.

• Uneven berry ripeness, green berry biggest issue.

CULT OF THE WINEGROWER

1. 2006 Shaw and Smith (Adelaide Hills, S.A.)

2. 2006 De Bortoli Reserve Release (Yarra Valley, Vic)

3. 2006 Giaconda Warner (Beechworth, Vic)

4. 2006 Langhi Ghiran (Grampians, Vic)

5. 2006 Seppelt Mt Ida Vineyard (Heathcote, Vic)

6. 2006 Clarendon Hills Astralis (McLaren Vale, S.A.)

7. 2006 Charles Melton Grains of Paradise (Barossa, S.A.)

BRACKET 2: SHIRAZ REGIONS

• 100% varietal wines are king in the new world.

• We lead the way with varietal labeling.

• Modern varietal wines can be copied.

• Australia has promoted brand variety.

• More important than brand region.

• Consumers think blends are just the leftovers of the varietal wines.

• Making 100% varietal wines can be like painting with one colour.

• Many 100% varietal wines are not.

• Varietal wines in the old world are generally the exception, not the rule, why?

• I don’t like Grenache but I like Châteauneuf du Pape.

• Is our obsession with varietal labeling retarding the development of regionality in Australia?

VARIETY OR REGION?

BLENDED WINES, THE NEW BLACK!• Shiraz Viognier has been very popular.

• A reaction by consumers to the blockbuster Shiraz?

• Domestically alternative varieties are popular.

• Sommeliers are looking for new interesting things.

• Often blended with other wines to give them character.

• Imported wine sales are growing in Australia, especially on premise.

• Many of these wines are blended and from climates similar to ours.

• Next step in the regional process will be a second tier of varieties that are suited to a region.

• Malbec in the Clare Valley, long history.

• Mataro/Mourvèdre in the Barossa, long history.

• Grenache in McLaren Vale.

• Cabernet Sauvignon in Langhorne and Coonawarra.

• Tempranillo, Touriga etc have a bright future, where?

• 5 blended wines

• Don’t be scared not a test.

• Can you pick other variety?

• Can you pick the region?

• Can you pick the producer?

• One wine shows Australia’s strongest terroir.

• One wine is Australia’s most famous wine.

• One wine is Australia brightest future Shiraz.

• Is regional character ever stronger than varietal?

BRACKET 3: BLIND BRACKET

1. 2006 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier (Canberra, A.C.T.)

2. 2006 SC Pannell Shiraz Grenache (McLaren Vale, S.A.)

3. 2006 Spinifex Indigene Shiraz Mataro (Barossa, S.A.)

4. 2006 Wendouree Shiraz Malbec (Clare Valley, S.A.)

5. 2004 Grange Shiraz Cabernet (Barossa 85%, McLaren 14%)

BRACKET 3: SHIRAZ BLENDS