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Western Australia rises to prominence on the wine scene.
It's likely that you've never tasted a wine from Western Australia, but you may be familiar with those wines bearing South Australia or South East Australia appellations. Those more familiar Australian wines tend to mimic New World styles, particularly the California wines of the past two decades. They tend to be richly expressive and often highly oak-influenced, particularly in the case of the more inexpensive offerings. The fine wines of South and East Australia (South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales) have always been stellar, particularly the Cabernet Sauvignons from Coonawara and Shiraz from Eden Valley. Dessert wines from South Australia compete with the world's finest. (See our blog Yalumba Muscat Museum Reserve.). Western Australia might just as well be a different country. First, you need to think upside down. North is hot; south is cool. Disband any notion that the great interior desert has any influence at all on the wine regions of Western Australia. In fact, the most significant climatic influence is the cold winds that blow north from the Southern Ocean (think Antarctica). These winds impact the southwest coastal areas profoundly, while the more temperate weather patterns of the Indian Ocean affect the western shores and valleys. Shiraz, Australia's signature red varietal, doesn't do particularly well here. But Cabernet Sauvignon does. The leading Western Australian white varietals are Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling; Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Grenache for the reds. The general style of Western Australian wines is more European than New World. Wines are leaner and bear little resemblance to their other Australian brethren. The best Chardonnays of this region resemble white Burgundy, but not many have reached competitive status. Cabernet Sauvignons display the restraint of Bordeaux, but not necessarily the typical flavor and aroma profile of that region. We tasted a vertical of Western Australia Rieslings from Howard Park. The wines were made from free-run juice from fruit from the coolest regions of the Great Southern region. James Halliday, writing in The Australian, wrote, "A vertical tasting of 20 vintages of this wine in June 2006 left no one in any doubt about its longevity..." We found the Howard Park Rieslings very lean and bone dry, displaying lemon and lime with flinty accents. A clear acidic zing was clothed with roundness. Fruity, not floral, and with hints of petrol that are typical of the varietal. The winery recommends a lifespan of around 15 years for this wine. Western Australian Shiraz reflects the cooler climate. Pepper abounds, but there is a creamy, chocolatey, round and slightly sweet aspect, too. Western Australian Shiraz is Rhône-like in contrast to the great Shirazes of South Australia which are jammy and mouth-filling. We found in the wines we tasted, the note of white pepper became increasingly apparent with age and the fruit more expressive. So we are inclined to give Western Australian Shiraz around 10 years of cellaring to enjoy it at its peak. Wines of Western Australia are just now becoming available in North America. They didn't appear on Australian restaurant lists much before 1990, despite the fact that there were nearly a hundred wineries operating in the region. Today there are more than 350. Most of these wines are being offered at prices around $20 and are rare bargains. Those that have received public acclaim will be more expensive. One of the best sources for Australian wines in North America is The Jug Shop in San Francisco, California.
The copyright of the article Wines of Western Australia in New World Wine is owned by Alan Boehmer. Permission to republish Wines of Western Australia in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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