Appellation Australia

2005 was an interesting year for consumers of premium Australian wine. Amidst the merger of Fosters and Southcorp and the continuing battle of the supermarkets versus the small independant stores, consumers enjoyed an ever expanding selection of great quality wine, both at low and high price points.

Thus as I look back at the year past, some of the choices for the best current release wines that I tried were not easy decisions, but here they are. The wines described are mostly in the higher cost premium category, but I will publish a “value wine of the year” list in the coming weeks.

To be eligible for a place on this list, the wine needed to exhibit class and character that went above and beyond being a technically sound wine, it needed to make a statement about the vintage and region or vineyard that it came from. That the wine may have been a little funky or dirty would not be counted as a negative as long as it added interest rather than be the dominating character of the wine. Finally the wine should have been a current release to consumers during 2005. Some of these wines may still be available in stores (especially overseas).

Best Riesling: 2002 Jacob’s Creek/Orlando “Steingarten” (Eden Valley, South Australia) $20 – One of the last of the Rieslings to be released from the outstanding 2002 vintage in the Eden Valley. The Steingarten vineyard was planted in 1962 and has produced some outstanding Riesling over the years, the 2002 being one of the best that I have tried with intense lime, mineral and chalky characters and an acid backbone that will see the wine age wonderfully well. This was released as Steingarten under both the Orlando and the Jacob’s Creek labels and is the same wine in both cases.
Riesling Runner Up: 2005 Seppelt “Drumborg” (Henty, Victoria) $25

Best Semillon: 1999 Tyrrell’s Vat 1 (Hunter Valley, Australia) $40 – It isn’t easy for wineries to hold back the releases of their flagship wines, especially due to the taxation problems it can cause for them, so that it why it is great to see Vat 1 be released with a minimum of 5 years bottle age. Hunter Valley Semillon is a unique style that people either seem to love or hate. This release of Vat 1 is still youthful and only hinting at secondary characters that it is going to take on as it develops into a superb wine over the next 10 years.
Semillon Runner Up: 1999 Mount Pleasant “Lovedale” (Hunter Valley, Australia) $35

Best Chardonnay: 1999 Bannockburn “S.R.H.” (Geelong, Victoria) $120 – From a single vineyard planted in 1977. A stunning wine – powerful and concentrated while avoiding being too broad, secondary bottle age characters are only just starting to come through and it will develop and live for many years to come. There has been a change in the winemaker at Bannockburn last year, and it will be interesting to see what direction he takes with the wines.
Chardonnay Runner Up: 2002 Leeuwin Estate Art Series (Margaret River, Western Australia) $65

Best Pinot Noir: 2003 Paringa Estate “Reserve” (Mornington Peninsula, Victoria) $70 – There were some strong contenders for this position but the Paringa Reserve won through in the end after some deliberation. 2003 was an excellent vintage for Pinot Noir on the Mornington Peninsula. This wine is all class, silky smooth and balanced with a finish that leaves you satisfied. Super drinking now, or in five years time.
Pinot Noir Runner Up: 2001 Bannockburn “Serre” (Geelong, Victoria) $120

Best Shiraz: 2003 Seppelt “St Peters” (Grampians, Victoria) $40 – A close call between this and the 2002 St Peters for Shiraz of the year, with the 2003 just coming ahead because it is slightly more approachable and drinkable at this stage of its life. St Peters, Seppelt’s flagship wine, is quite unlike the jammy massive Shiraz from South Australia, while still powerful they have a savoury, spicy, floral, velvety element to them. Outstanding length and structure and I don’t doubt that they will be even better with about 10 years behind them in bottle.
Shiraz Runner Up: 2004 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier (Canberra, ACT) $70

Best Cabernet Sauvignon: 2001 Balnaves The Tally Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Coonawarra, South Australia) $80 – With all the talk of Margaret River being the future of Cabernet Sauvignon in Australia and Coonawarra being a spent force, I found it interesting that my favourite wine from this variety was still from the traditional Cabernet home of Australia. Intense and powerful, but still balanced, with the tannin structure to be amazing if given time to mature.
Cabernet Sauvignon Runner Up: 2003 Cullen Diana Madeline (Margaret River, Western Australia) $90

Best Merlot: 2001 Henschke “Abbott’s Prayer” (Eden Valley, South Australia) $70 – Some genuine “Merlo-sity” here, exhibiting great varietal character, with just a touch of Cabernet to keep the mid-palate strong. I tried this three times during the year, twice blind and I loved it every time.
Merlot Runner Up: 2003 Smidge “Le Grenouille” (Adelaide Hills, South Australia) $25

Best Fortified Wine: 1905 Seppelt 100 Year Old Para Liqueur Vintage Tawny (Barossa Valley, South Australia) $550 (375ml) – I have written about this wine at length previously here and not much more needs to be said. Most fortified wines in Australia are a blend of previous vintages, but this is entirely from 1905 grapes and is the most wonderful experience.

Best Sparkling Wine: 2001 Domaine Chandon Brut (Yarra Valley, Victoria) $25 – The Australian arm of French Champagne house Domaine Chandon. This wine is yeasty and has some of that elusive complexity that Australian sparkling wine sometimes can’t find – it lacks a little of that Champagne magic, but it could pass as an entry level Champagne.
Sparkling Wine Runner Up: 2001 Petaluma Croser $35

Best Dessert Wine: 2000 Petaluma Sémillon “Botrytis Essence” (Coonawarra, South Australia) $30 (375ml) – Just 100 cases of half bottles made in 2000 of this wine, which isn’t made every vintage due to the unpredictability of the Botrytis infection in a region like Coonawarra. That said, it is well worth the effort of seeking some out. As much as I like sweet wines, balance is still essential – this wine has some superb acid in the background to balance out the sweetness. The concentration and length are superb.
Dessert Wine Runner Up: 2002 Brown Brothers Riesling Patricia Noble (Milawa, Victoria) $25 (375ml)