“Truth exists, only falsehood has to be invented,” Georges Braque, 1882-1963, Pensees sur L’Art.
Many think that Australia was the odious place to which hardened criminals were shipped from Europe. This land of almost three million square miles, almost as large as the United States, has morphed a bit over the years in the wine arena.
By the mid ’80s, Australia’s drive toward quality, innovation and automation began to pay dividends as the country became recognized as one of the finest wine producing regions in the world. In 2000, France made 7 1/2 times more wine than Australia. Soon, Australia will take front seat as the leading exporter to the United States, just behind Italy.
Aussies drink, on average, 5 1/4 gallons of wine annually per capita, 18th in the world. They produce wines from a tremendous variety of grapes, but to me and many, the magically pronounced Shiraz (the cousin of Syrah in France) is the most heady, beguiling and burstingly fruity beauty (reminds me of a girl I dated in college).
And now, on to my tasting of this pleasant pack of dandy Down Unders. Per usual, I graded these with my subjective “A”-“F” scores:
1. Emeri Sparkling Pinot Grigio, Australia, $12.99 at Pick & Save at present, soon to be market-wide. Light straw color. Lively effervescent foam around edges promising fun for all. Light body, with a dancing nose of banana. Lightly fruity in mouth easing into a clean finish with a dash of residual sugar. A+
2. Jacob’s Creek Chardonnay 2008, Australia, varied pricing (Note: Generally, Jacob’s Creek carries a recommended retail price of $6.99-$8.99, but I found this at the Piggly Wiggly in Mequon for $4.99, a true bargain). Slightly off-white color with medium body. Teasing notes of caramel and melon with a kiss of wood. In the mouth, this had medium depth with pleasant fruit and nice balance. Clean, elegant finish. Nice! A-
3. Jacob’s Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, 2009, Australia. Lively ruby red with heavy body. The nose was replete with classy notes of berries and depth. In the mouth, it displayed medium fruit, then finished smoothly. B+
4. Jacob’s Creek Shiraz, 2008, Australia. Dark, fearless red robe with heavy body. Somewhat shy nose at first made it seem like a Cabernet, but a little air helped it to swell like a genie. Nicely balanced and deeply fruity. A-
5. Morse Code Padthaway Shiraz 2008, Australia, $7.99. Dark, almost inky hue with heavy, pronounced body. Deep, rich nose that sings of plums and brooding fruit. In the mouth, it was deeply intense and rich, and it sang of a life well lived. Clean, rich finish. A+
6. Pillar Box Red, 2007, Australia, $10.99. This wine was a composition of 65 percent Shiraz, 25 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 10 percent Merlot. To me, it was like witnessing the vinous version of the MSO, wherein all performers strive, to the best of their ability, to weave an enticing performance together, much to the delight of the audience. Its color was practically a black ruby, and it boasted a minty nose from the Cabernet along with supporting nuances from the rest of the blend. In the mouth, it was most pleasant, lingering and complicated. Truly a delight! A
Today’s winner was the Pillar Box Red, a heady drink that barely bested the Emeri Sparkling Pinot Grigio.
I quickly awarded my Price/Value crown to the Morse Code Padthaway Shiraz, hard to find but worth it.
With genuine respect, I have to award an Honorable Mention to the entire Jacob’s Creek line – a true bargain in every respect.
Today’s postscript comes from another alert reader and oenophile who mentioned that the world’s oldest known fermented beverage, rice wine, was found on pottery shards from northern China that dated 9,000 years ago. Sake to me!
