Wizards of shiraz

The Southern Hemisphere does big reds right

Uncorked by David Marglin

I'll admit it, for years I was skeptical about the quality of red wines produced in Australia and New Zealand. Sure, there were a few legendary shiraz wines (to use the Aussie term for the syrah grape), with massive complexity and abundant flavor. But these wines -- Penfolds Grange Hermitage, Hardys Eileen Hardy Vineyard, Henscshke's Keyneton -- were (and are) pricey, hard-to-find collectors' items. The basic shirazes and shiraz blends, such as the numerous Penfolds Bin wines (Bin 2, Bin 28, Bin 389, and so on) and the various offerings of other large producers like Rosemount, Seaview, and Lindemans all seemed to me enormous, unsubtle wines; their over-the-top flavors made my mouth pucker and my eyes water. And I never saw any New Zealand reds.

But now my skepticism has eroded. At the insistence of friends who admire these big red wines, I've revisited them and found that many shirazes have been toned down and refined, while various blends have taken huge strides toward becoming fascinating and tasty -- captivating, alluring, and competitive with their more accessible Californian and European counterparts. I'm perfectly ready to eat crow about these wines, so long as I can wash it down with one of them, such as the opulent -- if expensive -- Goldwater 1994 Cabernet-Merlot blend from New Zealand ($50 at Bauer Wines on Newbury Street) or the 1994 Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon ($19.99 at the Wine Cask, Somerville).

Any exploration of Aussie reds should start with the ebullient shiraz wines. One-quarter of the red grapes grown in Australia are shiraz, making it the leading varietal; the wines made from shiraz are often styled after classic syrah-based wines from France's Rhône Valley, such as Hermitage (the namesake of Penfolds Grange Hermitage) and Côte-Rôtie. The 1994 Seaview Shiraz, for example, which comes from McLaren Vale, is a fairly mellow but full-bodied wine that attacks the front of your mouth and then recedes gradually into a long, pleasant finish, with notes of mint, chocolate, leather, and maple syrup. Though not as fruity as red zinfandel (or as high in alcohol), shirazes tend to have really earthy flavors that remind many tasters of forests and tree sap and moss.

If you don't have a taste for the outdoors, I recommend starting with a shiraz-cabernet or a shiraz-grenache blend, which tend to be fruitier. Most of these blends, under $20 retail, are tremendous values and fairly easy to find. As I noted in my last column, on antipodean whites, I'm partial to the more obscure and harder-to-find wines from Down Under, and for the adventurous out there I will throw out a few names: Veritas, Stone Chimney Creek, Torbreck, and Rockford. These wines may not yet be available around here, but trust me, they will.

As for New Zealand: until recently the country has been known here mainly for its white wines (specifically, chardonnays and sauvignon blancs), and there still aren't a lot of New Zealand reds readily available. That said, New Zealand red wine may well be the next big thing. The top of the heap now is Providence Merlot, supposedly so good that you can't find it in New Zealand at all. (Apparently the Germans buy it all, affectionately referring to it as New Zealand's Chateau Pétrus, after the legendary merlot from Bordeaux. Here I've seen it only at wine auctions.)

Some New Zealand pinot noirs and cabernet sauvignons are available -- Te Wara, to name one -- but the trend there is toward blends. They tend to be bold, brash, swarthy monsters, with plenty of fruit now, and my guess is they'll continue to age well in the bottle. When you do find them, there are values to be had, and more are undoubtedly on the way. Somehow a wine's bouquet always seems more luxurious when you're drinking something you know should be worth more (and, the way things are going, probably will be).

Australia

** Penfolds 1994 Koonunga Hill Shiraz-Cabernet ($9.99, the Wine Cask, Somerville).

A tasty little morsel, with round rich flavor that does not overwhelm. This is a fine table wine, and will go well with chicken, pork, or most light pasta sauces.

**¹/₂ Penfolds 1994 Bin 389 Cabernet-Shiraz ($19.99, Bauer Wines, Boston).

Loads of coffee, chocolate, and oak flavors, with slight bitterness and a nice firm feel in the mouth. Still young, with plenty of potential to blossom and open.

*** Richard Hamilton McLaren Vale 1995 Burton Vineyards Grenache-Shiraz ($14.99, the Wine Cask).

Supple strawberry nose, lush fruit, exquisite balance. A totally nonintimidating Southern Rhône-style blend. Drink now and savor.

*** Cape Mentelle 1994 Shiraz Margaret River ($16.95, Brookline Liquor Mart, Brookline).

Opulent leathery bouquet gives way to gentle, approachable flavors: hint of vanilla, subtle plum and ginger, some spice notes, and a soft supple finish. A stylish accompaniment to serve with hearty dishes, and a great intro to shiraz.

New Zealand

*** C.J. Pask 1995 Hawkes Bay Gimblett Road Cabernet-Merlot $17.95 (Bauer Wines; Brookline Liquor Mart).

A huge, impetuous, bravura wine, with ample fruit and a long pleasing finish. Just as brash as can be, with hyper pomegranate and cassis notes, and a lush floral bouquet. A crowd-pleaser, this is easy to serve with anything or on its own, and despite all the fruit, it ought to last a while. But drink it now.

David Marglin can be reached at wine[a]phx.com.

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