Fans of rich, concentrated, early-drinking red wines that deliver real bang for the buck caught onto Australian shiraz years ago, and these wines still sell well in the U.S. But too many of that country’s entry-level shiraz bottlings lack the balance and verve craved by consumers who normally gravitate toward European wines.
It’s still easy to find fleshy, jammy, even candied examples of shiraz—actually way too easy, and the cute animals on the labels are usually a warning sign. But one of the most exciting discoveries of my extensive tastings of Australian wine this year was how many well-priced shirazes and shiraz blends displayed freshness and energy, traits that most consumers simply don’t expect to find in the category, much less at prices under twenty bucks.
My annual coverage of hundreds of the best new releases from Australia, including a host of terrific values, is featured in the current issue of the International Wine Cellar. Here’s just a taste of some of the best bargain-priced shiraz bottlings I found.
Penfolds is Australia’s most famous winery and one of its largest, producing everything from dirt-cheap, mass-produced wines to Grange, a shiraz that has long been the iconic wine of the country. While Penfolds’ entry-level wines don’t pretend to be Grange, they do benefit from being made by the same talented winemakers. The 2008 Bin 2 Shiraz/Mourvèdre South Australia ($15; Fosters Wine Estates) benefits from the addition of a bit of mourvèdre, which adds focus and structure to the lush shiraz flavors. This lithe midweight drinks well now but has a history for aging.
Some of the best values in Australian wine come from Woop Woop Wines, whose winemaker Ben Riggs oversees a number of wineries, many of them high-end. The 2008 Shiraz South Australia ($12; Epicurean Wines) is the latest rendition of this underpriced wine, which can stand up to plenty of $30 bottlings for density and depth of fruit and complexity.
D’Arenberg offers one of the most diverse ranges of wines in Australia but they’re most famous for their reds, especially their top-end Dead Arm Shiraz. Their 2008 The Stump Jump Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvèdre South Australia ($11; Old Bridge Cellars) is a flat-out bargain, offering vibrant red and dark berry flavors and way more spicy complexity than one expects for less than $20—or, in this case, closer to $10.
Also look for the 2007 Fireblock Shiraz Old Vine Clare Valley ($15; The Australian Premium Wine Collection), a highly perfumed spicy/floral wine that’s at once deep and lively. The richer, darker-fruited, tangy 2008 Jim Barry Wines The Lodge Hill Shiraz Clare Valley ($20; Negociants, USA) has benefited significantly from the inclusion of the old-vine fruit that usually goes into the winery’s high-end Armagh (a $150 wine). Another rich, fruit-packed shiraz that offers excellent value is the 2008 Kilikanoon Wines Killerman’s Run Shiraz South Australia ($20; Old Bridge Cellars). This creamy yet snappy shiraz shares the flamboyant personality of the winery’s top bottlings, which run up to $235 (that’s per bottle, not case).
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