One ingredient to make McLaren Vale Shiraz and Coonawarra Cabernet taste even better

It is the most important ingredient in making good red wines taste even better. These four wines, at vastly different price points, have this one thing in common.

 

It is the most important ingredient in making those big red wines taste even better.

It can elevate our enjoyment of the same wine from average experience to an extraordinary one.

But unfortunately we can’t often just snap our fingers and grab this elusive thing.

That’s why The Australian Wine Club today is highlighting four wines that have this one ingredient in common: time in the cellar. (And, as an added bonus, they have all scored 90+ points in James Halliday’s Wine Companion!)

Most wineries release their entry-level oaked wines a year or two after vintage – not because they particularly want to, but bills need to be paid and cashflow reigns supreme.

Over the years, I have come to understand that adding as little as a couple of years of careful cellaring to a wine can make a world of difference – whether it be a $20 Barossa shiraz released 18 months after vintage or a higher-priced wine sold to the market three or four years later.

Without getting too scientific, time gives tannins – that natural preservative found in the stems, seeds and skins of grapes – a chance to dissipate and lose their bitterness, allowing those desirable fruity, savoury flavours of a wine to take over.

Of course, while we wait for those tannins to become soft and silky, how we store our wine at home is a critical factor on the path to ultimate drinking pleasure.

Temperature is key. Wine is like a piece of fruit – it’s perishable and begins to oxidise when exposed to warm temperatures. Oxidisation speeds up the ageing process and will make the greatest wine undrinkable prematurely.

The ideal temperature is between 12ºC and 14ºC but cellaring the wine at the same temperature (and consistent humidity) is just as important. Bright light is also wine’s natural enemy.

Our wines featured today come at vastly different price points but they are all at least five years old — much of the cellaring has been done for you. And I can make this guarantee: each wine tastes better today than it did a year ago. Patience has its virtues.

Parker Coonawarra Estate Interloper Cabernet Malbec 2016

Our club president James Halliday predicted this feisty little Cabernet blend would still be standing tall in 10 years when he sampled the wine in 2018. You’ll find red fruits and Coonawarra’s classic cool mintiness on the nose, leading to redcurrant and mulberry flavours on the palate and a savoury finish. From one of Coonawarra’s best producers. CLUB SPECIAL $17 a bottle in any dozen.

Topography by Printhie Orange Shiraz 2016

From cool-climate Orange comes a five-year-old Shiraz bursting with rich fruit, set against a backdrop of mingling herbs and spices. Plums, blueberries and star anise flavours wash across the palate, leading to white pepper and cloves. A lovely softness and creaminess to this wine puts it right in the drinking zone now: 93 points from James Halliday.
CLUB SPECIAL $27.20 a bottle in any dozen.

Scarpantoni Brothers Block McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

This is for lovers of luscious, velvety, big-flavoured red. You’ll find waves of voluptuous blackcurrants and blackberries flowing across the palate, leading to choc mint, vanilla and sweet spice. I managed to save a portion for a second day and found the fruit flavours still rich but complemented by leather, tobacco, cedar and roasted meat characters – the joy of drinking a wine with a few years under its belt. The 2006 vintage of the Brothers Block wine won the Jimmy Watson Trophy back in 2007.
CLUB SPECIAL $29.75 a bottle in any dozen.

Fox Creek Reserve McLaren Vale Shiraz 2015

 

Power, poise and precision. This is a top-shelf drinking experience from one of McLaren Vale’s red-star wineries. Fox Creek was established in 1984 by Helen and Jim Watts following the purchase of the property between McLaren Vale and Willunga. The Reserve Shiraz is Fox Creek’s flagship and recognised in the “outstanding” category of the Langton’s wine classification system. The 2015 scored 95 points from James Halliday’s team and picked up a swag of gold medals at wine shows across Europe and Asia. The Reserve is all about deep, dark, rich fruits, creamy chocolate and vanilla toppings. You’ll experience its power and intense depth of flavour but the wine’s balance and quality is expressed through its sheer silky elegance. A special drinking experience now or hold for many years to come. $100 a bottle.

SPECIAL CLUB DOZEN(including three Fox Creek Reserve) $31.25 a bottle.

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