Here's an extract and link to the article:

http://bit.ly/9heaU3

Finding the Soul in Australian Shiraz
Look at Shiraz through regional lenses and rediscover the grape variety you used to love.

Published on
BY JOE CZERWINSKI

In recent years, it’s become fashionable to bash Australian wines—especially Shiraz. Too big. Too alcoholic. Too jammy. Too confected. Too manipulated. In my few short years as Wine Enthusiast’s lead reviewer of Australian wines, I’ve heard it all, from beginners bored by the sameness of the big brands to collectors turned off by mammothly extracted Shirazes that require knives and forks instead of wineglasses.

The sad part is that to a large extent, I agree. There are a lot of boring Australian Shirazes and a lot of overripe and overextracted monsters. But these mediocrities are found in any wine-producing country. More importantly, there are a lot of really interesting, unique expressions of Shiraz coming out of Australia. All that is required to find them is a willingness to dig a little deeper. Beyond the million case brands and impossibly broad geographic indications (GIs) like “South Eastern Australia,” which covers 90% or more of the country’s vineyards, there’s a world of fine Shiraz to be rediscovered.

Australia now has upward of 100 GIs approved for use on wine labels. Like their American Viticultural Area (AVA) counterparts, they guarantee that at least 85% of the grapes were grown in that region—nothing more. But in practical terms, they provide a general guide as to what style of wine consumers can expect to find in the bottle. Here’s a stateby-state, region-by-region guide to Shiraz with soul.


STATE: SOUTH AUSTRALIA
South Australia is the world’s epicenter of Shiraz production. Not only does it turn out enormous quantities, it is also home to some of the planet’s oldest Shiraz vines. But as a guide to style, it’s virtually worthless, as it simply encompasses too many disparate regions. It’s a safe bet that a blended South Australian Shiraz will have ripe fruit and some oak aging (possibly at an attractive price), but for a greater sense of place, drill down to the next level of GIs, which includes such well known regions as Barossa and McLaren Vale.


Barossa

Barossa perhaps best fits the stereotype of Australian Shiraz: big, bold and often jammy. Because of the warm climate, tannins are generally fully ripe at harvest, imparting a seamless, creamy texture when not overextracted. The best wines (too many to list here) avoid extremes and add elegance and spicy, savory complexity to their rosters of positive attributes.


Barossa itself is home to two smaller GIs: Barossa Valley and Eden Valley. Barossa Valley wines epitomize the Barossa style of richness and opulence, although subregions differ and are becoming an increasing topic of conversation among winemakers and connoisseurs. Viticulturist/ winemaker Rob Gibson describes some of Barossa Shiraz’s regional characteristics: “Stockwell, anise; Moppa and Kalimna, nectarine; Greenock, very plummy.”


Yalumba has introduced a series of single-site wines that attempts to illustrate the differences within Barossa, but for those who want to take a virtual trip to the Barossa’s different subregions and varied soils, visiTorbreck’s Web site (torbreck.com) and click on The Vineyards.


Eden Valley produces wines with a more savory character, firmer structure and often less alcohol and higher natural acids than those from other parts of the Barossa. Most are blended into Barossa wines to add complexity and structure, but a few are bottled separately (Henschke’s Mount Edelstone and Hill of Grace, Torbreck’s The Gask, Poonawatta Estate) and are all worth trying if you have a small fortune and come across any.


Clare Valley

Further north of Adelaide is the small, rural oasis of Clare Valley. Clare Shirazes are characterized by ripe fruit that can tend toward prune and chocolate blended with savory elements of espresso, black olive and licorice. Cool nights help preserve natural acidity, giving Clare wines a harder edge than their Barossa counterparts, but acid adjustments are still routinely practiced. Recommended producers include Jim Barry, Kilikanoon, Koonowla, Pike’s and Reilly’s.