Wine: ‘The cabernet capital is South Australia’

IN any game of word association, ‘shiraz' and ‘Australia' will surely emerge side by side.

IN ANY game of word association, ‘shiraz' and ‘Australia' will surely emerge side by side. Surprisingly, however, shiraz only accounts for 45 per cent of the area planted with red wine varieties and has to take its place among almost 150 grape varieties grown in Australia. Most of those are only produced in tiny amounts but it is, nevertheless, worth taking a closer look at some of the significant components of those other reds of Oz.

The next most plentiful variety by a margin is cabernet sauvignon, whose grapes can be successfully grown in several different parts of Australia. For example, the light, blackcurrant and cherry-charged entry-point 2011 Burra Brook Cabernet Sauvignon (£7.49, M&S) uses grapes sourced from New South Wales. Serious cabernet is made in Western Australia as well, such as 2007 Clairault Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (£24, M&S) – a full, slightly floral and bramble-influenced version from the Margaret River.

The cabernet capital is South Australia but even there you’ll find significant local variations. The obvious starting point is the most famous part of Coonawarra – ‘terra rossa’, where the distinctive red soil, limestone subsoil and micro climate combine to intensify the plum cassis flavours in the wine. As an inexpensive taster, look out for some of the supermarket premium versions of Coonawarra that retail between £5 and £10 and nicely illustrate the full, intense fruit and chocolate-based finish that is the area’s signature.

Other cabernet stars hailing from from South Australia include the brilliant Clare Valley wines that form the successive vintages of Wakefield St Andrews Cabernet Sauvignon (£25-£30, Raeburn Fine Wines, Edinburgh). There is a rich intensity that makes these wines classics.

I was also hugely impressed by 2010 Mitolo ‘Jester’ Cabernet Sauvignon (£14.99, Lockett Bros, North Berwick) from McLaren Vale where a proportion of the fruit has been left to dry and, thus, accentuate its long, juicy, spicy blueberry flavours.

Still in South Australia, it is worth noting how grenache grown there is attracting attention from those reacting to the price of top-level southern Rhônes. Both wines do share certain ripe, warm, food-friendly characteristics even if the Australian versions cannot quite match the full flavour spectrum that the broad range of blends in the Rhône create. To sample these southern hemisphere alternatives, try a Waitrose newcomer (currently only available online). Using grapes from old vines growing in McLaren Vale, 2009 Chapel Hill Bush Vine Grenache (£17.09) provides substantial bramble and blackcurrant fruit along with grenache’s classic white pepper undertones.

A slightly less expensive version, that also uses McLaren Vale fruit, is the chewy and damson-charged 2009 The Olive Branch Grenache (£10.49, Sainsbury’s). Both are well worth a try.

If you thought Australian grenache was unorthodox enough, let me introduce you to three other grape varieties. Although zinfandel is bread and butter to Californian winemakers, 2009 McHenry Hohnen Rocky Road Zinfandel (£14.50, The Wine Society) is a bit of a surprise in Western Australia. Nevertheless, it retains all the substantial texture and robust yet rich flavours you would expect, and rides out on a minty, mocha-style finish.

Durif, an equally unfamiliar grape (even under its American alias of petit sirah – without the usual ‘y’), is behind one of my personal favourites – 2008 Campbells Bobbie Burns Durif (£14.50, WoodWinters) from Victoria with its bold, herbal and plummy touches that will push back against even the most substantial meat dish.

Switching tack completely, we find another Victoria State wine aristocrat with an unconventional wine. Although tarrango is descended from Portugal’s touriga nacional, the wine it produces has the lightness of beaujolais and is absolutely perfect for summer drinking. The good news is that you will often find Brown Brothers Tarrango on offer but the 2010 vintage is currently available for £7.49 in Waitrose.

So, if ever the world tires of shiraz, there are more than enough familiar or unfamiliar grape varieties in Australia to keep any red wine enthusiast happy for years.

2010 Maison Champy Macon Villages Viré and Clessé, France, 13 per cent

Excellent white burgundy with real freshness, balanced lime-based acidity and a long finish made the more sophisticated by hints of vanilla and minerality. A lovely wine. £9.90, Exel Wines, Perth (01738 493535)

2007 Domaine de la Borie Blanche Minervois, France, 13.5 per cent

A smooth, dense and slightly tarry red that draws cherry and bramble fruit (with an attractive chocolate finish) from its GSM blend. £7.99 (as part of a mixed case, until 23 April), Majestic