| Three
Producers:
Voyager Estate
The
2002 “Heytesbury” Chardonnay of Vasse
Felix
Howard
Park’s Leston Vineyard
|
By
Jim Clarke
First California, then France, and now Australia; it seems like
everyone wants to make too much wine these days. Fred Franzia and
others did their part in saving the day in California, buying excess
grapes and plowing them into super-budget brands like “Two-Buck
Chuck.” France is handling the problem in their own manner,
which involves a lot of blaming the government, protests, and distilling
wine into industrial alcohol. Australia is only hitting this bump
in the road now, with the 2006 harvest; how they cope remains to
be seen.
The grape glut is mainly hurting growers in wine areas you probably
haven’t heard of, where grapes are grown for bulk wines. Meanwhile,
out in the far corner of the country, the wineries of Margaret River
can more-or-less ignore it all, as they’ve carved out their
own reputation that has little to do with the heavily marketed,
budget-priced wines of South Australia, Queensland, and Victoria.
That’s not to say that those areas don’t have sub-appellations
and wines of great quality and individuality, but in Margaret River
premium wines and boutique producers are the mainstay rather than
the icing on the cake. According to Margaret River Online, it only
grows 3% of the country’s grapes, but is responsible for more
than 20% of the country’s premium wines.
The Margaret River wine region occupies the northern half of the
broad, short peninsula sticking out into the Indian Ocean south
of Perth. Its namesake river runs east-to-west through the area;
together with a cooling maritime influence it creates a winegrowing
climate that would be positively Bordeaux-like, if growers didn’t
have the very un-Bordeaux problem of parrots eating their grapes.
The winds can also be fierce, and most vineyards need windbreaks
to protect the vines.
You won’t confuse the wines from Margaret River with their
cousins across the continent in Barossa Valley or McLaren Vale;
elegance and finesse are their calling cards, and they forego the
over-the-top fruitiness and opulence of the Australian stereotype.
The industry here built its reputation on Cabernet Sauvignon, but
Chardonnay, other Bordeaux varietals, and of course Shiraz all make
appearances in the vineyards. Today I find that Chardonnay is the
star player, striking a good balance between a Burgundian and the
often-voluptuous California/Australian model.
Three Producers
Voyager Estate is the first Margaret
River winery I got excited about. Their vines date back to 1978,
and today they are one of the larger producers in the area. Their
red and white Bordeaux blends stand out; the former, a Cabernet
Sauvignon and Merlot blend, could pass as a Margaux of good pedigree
with its cassis, cedar, and smoky aromas, while the Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon
blend brightens its lime, mineral, and beeswax notes with a touch
if spice. The Chardonnay is also a winner; full and round, but with
surprising acidity which draws out its clove, cinnamon, and mineral
aromas into a lingering finish.
Voyager Estate Cabernet/Merlot 1999
Voyager Estate Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon 2003
Voyager Estate Chardonnay 2002
The 2002 “Heytesbury”
Chardonnay of Vasse Felix is world-class,
and the best Chardonnay from Margaret River (from Australia, even?)
I’ve tasted. It’s round, but well-structured, and wraps
an impressive collection of flavors and aromas around a minerally,
chalky center: melon, overripe pear, almond, and spice. They also
have a way with Shiraz, the cheaper, “Adams Road” bottling
is a good value and the higher-end wine offers all the rich, dark
fruits you could hope for, especially boysenberry and blackberry,
with good supporting acidity.
Vasse Felix “Heytesbury” Chardonnay 2002
Vasse Felix “Adams Road” Shiraz 2003
Vasse Felix Shiraz 2001
Howard Park’s Leston Vineyard
yields top-notch Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. The Cabernet seems
to draw a graphite and bitter chocolate character out of the soil;
in the 2002 this is complemented by touches of cassis, cedar, and
smoke. It’s full and muscular, with impressive length. The
Shiraz, on the other hand, tends toward juicy fruit aromas like
blueberry and boysenberry, with an underlying core of Rhone-like
meatiness. Howard Park’s lower-priced line is sold under the
Mad Fish label, and are generally good values.
Howard Park “Leston” Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
Howard Park “Leston” Shiraz 2001
Others to watch out for:
Cape Mentelle
Brookland Valley
Amberley
Leeuwin Estate
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