The rise of Wrattonbully — unique new Aussie wine region

13 December 2004Travel, Vineyard, WineChris Shanahan

‘You’ve never heard of a champion race horse with a bad name’. Attributed to viticulturist Vic Patrick during a prolonged, and at times rancorous, debate over the naming of Wrattonbully wine region. Wrattonbully, the biggest of several new wine regions on South Australia’s Limestone Coast, sprawls for forty kilometres along the Naracoorte Tableland, touching Padthaway … Continue reading The rise of Wrattonbully — unique new Aussie wine region →

Fifty years of Wynns Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon

28 November 2004People, Vineyard, WineChris Shanahan

A tasting of 50 years of Wynns Coonawarra Estate cabernet sauvignons last week highlighted what a long, twisting, sometimes profitless and often frustrating struggle lies behind the emergence of significant wines. The ‘estate that made Coonawarra famous’ remained largely unknown, under various guises, for sixty years before the inspired marketing of the Wynn family gave … Continue reading Fifty years of Wynns Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon →

Rich, luscious viognier, straight or blended

25 April 2004UncategorizedChris Shanahan

In the wine industry the lead-time from vision to realisation can be twenty years. It takes that long for vines and winemaking skills to mature. Indeed, in some cases, it may be even longer before consumers perceive the benefit of a visionary decision made decades earlier. For example, when Karl Seppelt established vineyards at Drumborg, … Continue reading Rich, luscious viognier, straight or blended →

Wine review — Petaluma, d’Arenberg & Tim Adams

17 August 2003Wine reviewChris Shanahan

Petaluma Coonawarra 2000, about $50 to $70 Coonawarra’s warm and very small 2000 vintage produced cabernets somewhat plumper and rounder than normal for this region. The crystal-clear, blackcurrant varietal character is still there, but in the mouth the wines seem softer, the riper tannins delivering less of the variety’s astringency. Petaluma’s 2002 fits this vintage … Continue reading Wine review — Petaluma, d’Arenberg & Tim Adams →

Vintage 2003 — outstanding for Aussie rieslings

17 August 2003WineChris Shanahan

By April this year, Clare and Eden Valley riesling makers could hardly believe their own good luck. They’d barely finished crowing about 2002 — the best vintage in twenty years, they said — even better than the excellent 2001s. And, here were the barely fermented 2003s looking every bit as good as the 2002s, perhaps … Continue reading Vintage 2003 — outstanding for Aussie rieslings →

Wine review — Helm, Thistle Hill & Taylors

1 September 2002Wine reviewChris Shanahan

Helm Canberra District Classic Dry Riesling 2002, $20 at cellar door From what I’ve seen to date, Canberra’s 2002 vintage was a cracker for riesling, producing intense flavours and a high natural acidity that gives backbone, freshness and promise of good long term cellaring. Ken Helm’s wine, released at cellar door today, delivers the flavour … Continue reading Wine review — Helm, Thistle Hill & Taylors →

Clonakilla shiraz — birth of a Canberra blue chip

1 September 2002People, Vineyard, WineChris Shanahan

International and local acclaim for Clonakilla Murrumbateman Shiraz Viognier has terrific implications for the Canberra district – especially for shiraz growers in the vicinity of Murrumbatemen. The implication is that Canberra shiraz – either in tandem with the white variety viognier, or on its own – has the potential to be world class. And if … Continue reading Clonakilla shiraz — birth of a Canberra blue chip →

Wine review — Grant Burge & Redbank

11 March 2001Wine reviewChris Shanahan

Grant Burge Barossa Valley ‘Hilcott’ Merlot 1999, about $18 Most of Australia’s merlot vines are very, very young. And many of the wines being made from it are very, very oaky and very, very light on definitive merlot flavour. This one is made from mature vines on Grant Burge’s ‘Hilcott’ vineyard. It’s beefed up with … Continue reading Wine review — Grant Burge & Redbank →

Tasmania on the rise

28 January 2001WineChris Shanahan

In vintage 2000, Tasmania harvested 3263 tonnes of grapes, a little under 0.3 per cent of the nation’s 1.147 million tonne total. Amongst the grape statistics, one little gem sparkles most. And that’s the relative volume of pinot noir being produced. The apple isle’s 1036 tonne pinot crush in 2000 represented 6.4% of the Australian … Continue reading Tasmania on the rise →

Orange a bright star on the NSW Great Dividing Range

5 March 2000People, Vineyard, WineChris Shanahan

A collation of my Canberra Times articles published between January and March 2000 January 23 2000 Along New South Wales’ Great Divide — from Tooma and Tumbarumba in the south, heading north through Gundagai, Canberra, Yass, Young, Harden, Cowra, Cudal and Cargo, to the cool heights of Orange’s Mount Canobolas and on to Mudgee – … Continue reading Orange a bright star on the NSW Great Dividing Range →

Chris Shanahan

Australian wine & beer judge, writer and connoisseur

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