It’s Time To Jump Into These Australian Wines

By Tom Marquardt And Patrick Darr

Australia, the only country that covers an entire continent, makes tons of wine. Over the years we have tasted many of the best from the Barossa Valley, but the other regions have seemed more focused on mass-produced wines with few unique qualities.

One region that is an exception is Victoria, a southeastern state surrounding Melbourne

just south of New South Wales.  Although the second smallest state in Australia, it is one of the most biologically diverse.  Perhaps its undulating terrain has discouraged mass wine producers, but instead, it has attracted small, family winemakers who enjoyed the challenge of farming crops in soil that is a combination of decomposed granite, granite outcrops and clay bedrock. Wine productions are small, but what wine you can find on the American market is unique and delicious across the board. It is an area consumers need to discover.

Matt Fowles makes wines under various labels, including Farm to Table and Ladies Who Shoot Their Lunch. If that name is not enough to draw your attention, his region is the rugged Strathbogie Ranges. With vineyards at an altitude ranging from 1,400 to 1,800 feet above sea level, he makes an extraordinary Farm to Table pinot noir that is the best we’ve tasted this year and for the ridiculous price of $18. Beyond its deceiving light color is a medium-bodied, elegant and balanced pinot noir – a pleasant relief from the robust and concentrated pinot noirs from California and Oregon.

In a recent Zoom interview with wine writers, Fowles said that serious pinot noir fans may overlook this style of pinot noir.  But pinot noir made on the U.S. West Coast regularly sells for more than $50 a bottle and stylistically they are not as quaffable or as elegant as the 2021 Field to Table pinot noir.

The region’s diurnal temperature shifts allow the grapes to rest at night.  Not many regions in Australia have those conditions.

Yarra Valley makes a lot of great wines we have sampled over the years.  This time we were introduced to a Yering Station chardonnay and a blend of Shiraz and viognier.  The Little Yering chardonnay is a steal at $22 a bottle – youthful and racy with bright acidity and melon, apple notes.

We adored the 2020 Yering Station Shiraz Viognier ($40). Its flavors seem to go on and on, starting with a huge bouquet of plum and spice aromas, moving to an array of red and dark fruits and ending with fine tannins and lingering acidity.

The Rutherglen region in Victoria is famous for its fortified wines, particularly muscat. We enjoyed the non-vintage Chambers Rosewood Vineyards Muscat ($20/375ml).  Tawny red in color, it has a vibrant mouthfeel with a raisiny and dried fruit palate. This would be a great wine to finish a holiday dinner. No food is needed!

Nick Brown, who makes wine in this region under the St. Leonards and All Saints label, admits it’s a challenge to sell dessert wines that are high in alcohol, but producers are improving the packaging to make them more attractive and educating consumers about their value. He also said that there is a future for using them as a mixer in cocktails.

“We’re taking the stuffiness out and putting a fresh spin on it,” Brown said.

Markham

Markham Vineyards from Napa Valley is one of the few known best for its merlots.  While others have abandoned this unfairly maligned grape variety, Markham has

embraced it.  We are thankful because they have been able to demonstrate what good wines can be made from this grape variety.

Much of its success is undoubtedly due to winemaker Kimberlee Nicholls, who this year is celebrating her 30^th anniversary with Markham. Although she oversees a program that includes more than a dozen unique merlots, we recently tasted three that are worthy of consumer attention.

The 2021 Napa Valley Merlot ($30) is a good entry point of Markham’s signature style. Estate vineyards in Calistoga, Yountville and Oak Knoll AVAs supply the fruit for this ripe and jammy merlot that is blended with a bit of cabernet sauvignon and malbec.

The 2019 District Series Merlot ($57) from only Oak Knoll has bright cherry notes with nice tannins and a touch of herbs. It is entirely merlot.

We enjoyed the more complex 2018 Marked Parcels Merlot ($67) from the Yountville AVA in Napa Valley. The additional body age makes this a round, single-parcel and unblended merlot with jammy blackberry and black cherry flavors cloaked in chewy tannins.

Wine picks

Donnafugata Mille e una Notte Rosso 2018 ($91). From southwestern Sicily, this giant blend of nero d’avola, syrah and petit verdot shows off dark fruit and spicy notes with a hint of black pepper and herbs.  Fine tannins keep it drinkable, but it is a wine to pair with serious foods such as lamb and winter stews.

Sonoma-Cutrer The Cutrer Russian River Chardonnay 2021 ($36).  This estate-bottled, single-vineyard chardonnay has oak notes with rich baked apple and pear flavors accented by caramel, vanilla aromas. Soft and luscious.

Ram’s Gate Richards Vineyard Syrah 2020 ($80).  This brooding and rich syrah has herbal aromas and dense blackberry fruit.  Good tannins make it a keeper or the perfect wine to match with beef or lamb.

Three Sticks One Sky Sonoma Mountain Chardonnay 2021 ($70). This wine although pricey impressed us with its elegance. Butterscotch and baked apple notes dominate with balanced acidity.