The discerning drinker: wizard reds from Australia
The Australian wine industry has not had a happy few years. A decade-long drought in South Australia was relieved by a wet winter this year but the industry is still running out of water.
The Australian dollar's relentless rise against the pound hasn't helped either: there's not much interesting Aussie wine at under £15 a bottle here these days.
This is a shame, because serious producers are at last producing wines with a real sense of place - once heresy to the nation's winemaker-focused orthodoxy. Here are a few such reds.
Moonvine Biodynamic Shiraz/Cabernet/Merlot 2009, McLaren Vale (Waitrose, reduced from £9.99 to £7.99 until August 16). From small biodynamic producer Walter Clappis, this is big, lush and rich: more stereotypically Aussie than the following wines, perhaps, but very attractive.
Marananga Dam Old Vines Grenache-Mourvedre-Shiraz 2007, Barossa Valley (M&S, reduced to £9.99 until July 31). Made for M&S by leading Barossa producer Torbreck, this is excellent value on offer. Sweet, tangy, peppery fruit, yet despite being 14.5 per cent alcohol, it doesn't taste at all heavy.
Ferngrove Majestic Cabernet 2008, Frankland River (Findwine, mail order from findwine.co.uk or 0845 306 5417: £17.99, you can mix cases of six or 12, delivery £6.99). From a top producer in Frankland River, Western Australia, this is big, complex and powerful: blackberry fruit, cedar notes, fine tannins. From a mail order specialist with a particularly impressive Australian range.
Penfolds Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz 2008, Barossa Valley (Berry Brothers, 3 St James Street, SW1, or from bbr.com, £37.50). I'm a big admirer of Peter Gago, Penfolds's unassuming chief winemaker. One of its mid-range wines, this isn't cheap but it's quite lovely: rich, smooth, dark berry fruit and fine tannins. A long life ahead of it but frankly it's hard to resist now.
Wendouree Shiraz-Malbec 2001, Clare Valley (Findwine, £45). Wendouree crafts iconic wines in tiny quantities and the results are seriously impressive: Findwine's tasting of multiple blends and vintages last autumn was revelatory. This shiraz-malbec combines lush fruit with solid structure and fine-grained tannins: beautiful.
