Aussie Zinfandel and Cab Sauvignon

Many of us look to Australia to provide inexpensive wines for every day enjoyment. That was the niche Australia first broke into in U.S. and Canadian markets back in the 80s. A few of us were aware of a world class wine called Grange Hermitage, but not many could afford to find out what it really offered. Australian Cabernet Sauvignon was not well known and Pinot Noir, Grenache and Zinfandel were virtually unknown in America.

It's no surprise that we've not seen many noteworthy offerings of Pinot Noir from Australia, but that aside, there are some surprises.

California has up till now considered Zinfandel its proprietary wine, unrivaled everywhere else in the world. Odd, considering that the grape is undisputedly of European origin, even genetically identified with Croatian Plavac Mali and Italian Primitivo. But it has performed far better in California than in its supposed place of origin. Good, mid-quality California Zinfandels typically command prices in the mid-US$20 range. The best will set you back more than twice that.

Surprise! Zinfandel has found a happy home in Australia. It thrives in the Barossa Valley and Margaret River regions. We found a terrific value in Schulz 2001 Zinfandel Johanne Barossa Valley; 15.5% alc., $17.99. This rich and satisfying Zinfandel exhibits notes of spicy black fruits, earth, and leather. Robert Parker rated it at 91 points. We give it a highly recommended rating and mark it as a better value than almost any California counterpart you are likely to find at that price point.

AUSSIE vs. CALIFORNIA CABERNET.

The best Australian Cabernet Sauvignons will set you back well under a hundred dollars, much less than comparable Cabernets from California, where cult Cabernets can cost more than twice that amount. How do they stack up? We compared two equally rated Cabernets from Australia and California. The result surprised us.

Robert Parker called Maxwell Lime Cave Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve "one of Australia's finest Cabernets." We agreed. The 2001 Maxwell Cab is a sumptuous, deep, richly flavored Cabernet with loads of delicious black cherry flavor and a full complement of attendant notes of spice, earth, and tobacco. Chewy and luscious. A California Cabernet with this style an quality could easily cost a hundred dollars or more. The Maxwell Cabernet is presently available for $59.95 - expensive, but worth the price. Highly Recommended.

You might think that $60 is rather expensive for a fine Aussie red, but please note that typical top Aussie Grenache and Shiraz run well over a hundred dollars a bottle.

We compared the Aussie Cabernet to 2002 Larkmead Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley. We found a generous aroma and complex, layered flavors of big, rich, dark plum and blackberry, brown spices, chocolate, and earthy notes. Gorgeous, rich, chewy, and very drinkable now. Beautiful, long finish. An outstanding wine, a terrific value at $45 and highly recommended. One of the best values we've found in high quality California Cabernet Sauvignon.

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