McLaren Vale, South Australia Ive noticed something peculiar here along the Australian wine trail. In a move away from the high-alcohol, fruit-bomb wine style of the past, there seems to be an instinct for practically every region Ive been through to refer to themselves as cool-climate. This can be translated to mean one can expect the wines to be more balanced and not overripe, with slightly lower alcohol levels, higher acidity and a tad more lightness in weight. Knowing these are the traits people generally look for in their wines these days, the cool-climate label has been generously offered and a tad dubious in certain times and places, particularly in stays where weve had to sleep on top of the covers with the fan on as normal temperatures push 40-degrees Celsius for days on end.
The Clare Valley is the first place those words rang true. The cool evenings and higher elevation upwards of four- to five-hundred metres above sea level mixed with limestone and quartz-laden soils make it the perfect setting for kick-ass Riesling. Oddly enough, the disparity between the day and night temperatures allow for just enough heat intensity during the day to ripen some of the heartier red grapes as well. We found some incredible Cabernets and the occasional unique blend including Mitchell Wines 2007 Grenache Sangiovese Mourvèdre ($30, private wine stores).
But Rieslings, oh the Rieslings! If you like 'em dry and zippy with intense minerality, that style with fresh-squeezed citrus and a mouthful of rocks, do keep an eye around town for Clare Valley on Australian labels, particularly from producers Skillagolee, Grossett, Pikes and Knappstein. Youll find most have just enough residual sweetness to handle any spicy Asian or Indian food you throw at em.
Today brought an enjoyable morning and afternoon in the sunny McLaren Vale area, stretching from the edge of the Southern Ocean to the Adelaide Hills, providing a lovely and picturesque maritime (yup, "cool") climate. A tight little community of wineries inhabit the land, all of them doing their own individual plays on Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvèdre and more, whether blended or produced as single-varietal wines. Almost all of the wineries have been currently successful with Tempranillo in the region as well, not quite as gamey and tobaccoed as their Spanish cousins, but lush, spiced and plummy all the same. If you can track any down, scoop 'em up. Wines made from Grenache were the ones that really connected with me, particularly from Chapel Hill and dArenberg, chock full of dusty Italian plums, cloves and licorice and produced from vines anywhere from 50 to 80 years old, adding layers and character.
Shiraz though, is what one thinks of when the land of Oz comes up, and the McLaren Vale examples are worlds away from the former heavy, alcoholic and sweet Aussie style that leaves you with black teeth and exhausted after two glasses. It's a style that winemaker Justin McNamee of Samuels Gorge refers to as gloopy and bombastic.
Drinking Shiraz shouldnt be arduous, he says. It should be a wine that glides.
The majority of the region seems to share his philosophy, with buoyant black fruit, fresh-cracked pepper and a nice lick of spearmint being common McLaren Vale traits. Gemtree Vineyards rock that spearmint thing amazingly. Disappointingly, its been a couple years since someone has brought Samuels Gorge wines into BC, a bottle will be tough to find. A pity since I found the wines, and winemaker, to be the most genuine, brilliant examples of the region. Someone please get on this!
Its been quite enjoyable travelling through Australia. It looks like things have come a long way in the last little while. Not one critter wine or over-oaked Chardonnay to date. Meanwhile, I should clarify that the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»importer for Vasse Felix wines, which I highlighted last week, is Pacific Wine & Spirits.
Next weeks my final dispatch from Australia, diving into Coonawarra Cabernets and the Mornington Peninsulas Pinot Noir country. In the meantime, you have some great Clare Valley and McLaren Vale fare to track down. Head over to KurtisKolt.com and let me know what you find!
