2016 Started out warm, with a cool growing season. Affordable, everyday drinking wines through to some of Australia's most sought after, collectible fine wines. Renowned alongside Chianti, Bordeaux and Rioja as one of the world’s great wine regions, the Barossa Valley is synonymous with deep, richly flavoured Shiraz wines. In the current era, "Shiraz" is an alternative name for the Syrah grape, mostly used in Australia and South Africa.The modern "Shiraz… Martin's Pick Up Shiraz. The area is home to some of Australia’s most venerable and famous wineries including Wolf Blass, Penfolds and Peter Lehmann. Australian Shiraz is perhaps the most familiar around the world, both because it’s easy to find a fantastic one without having to spend all that much money, and because the quintessentially Australian style of Shiraz… Entry is voluntary. The Barossa is responsible for some of Australia’s finest Shiraz from both small and large producers. Shiraz is Australia’s stable red grape variety, makes the most popular red wine and is at the core of the country’s incredible export success.The most widely planted wine grape in the country, Shiraz continues to dominate the Australian wine … Some producers of more elegant styles are experimenting with whole-bunch fermented grapes, arguing that the stems add aromatic lift and extra detail. Below we have compiled a list of the top Australian Shiraz wines … Charcuterie, grilled and roasted meats (lamb, beef and game), stews and casseroles, firm, aged cheeses. Shiraz was one of the original varieties brought into Australia and is firmly established as our iconic grape. Forward and generous wines, but aromatics are subdued on occasion. The Australian wine industry is one the world's largest exporters of wine, with approximately 800 million out of the 1.2 to 1.3 billion litres produced annually exported to overseas markets. ABN: 89 636 749 924   I  Disclaimer  I  Privacy  I  Copyright  I  FOI and Information Publication Scheme  I Index lists of files I  Senate Order Contract Listing |  Site map I  Public Interest Disclosures I  Compliments and complaints. Shiraz creates wines with medium to full-bodied character and varying flavour profiles and structure depending on region, climate and techniques. Australia- A fruit flavor of richness complimented by supple tannins … From our nation’s capital back to the Hunter Valley … Australia has earned its stellar red wine reputation on Shiraz, with Cabernet Sauvignon providing solid support. Premium members can click on the wines to see the full tasting notes, plus stockist information where available. The Sixteenth Edition of my 100 Best Australian Wines Report represents the finest one hundred Australian wines available on the shelves in the UK for the coming twelve months. best shiraz wine The crowd favourite, the 2013 Shiraz Republic is a rich Shiraz, full of fruit-driven flavour and oak tannins. Barossa shiraz is often big and fruity and instantly likeable, like so many of the country's wines, and that is one more reason that the Barossa is so eminently Australian. Today, we lean towards an Australian red wine that is a bit more muscular than your typical Pinot. So, too, Brokenwood’s Graveyard Shiraz from the Hunter Valley: wines like the 1986 and 2014 are some of the greatest ever to emerge from that famous region. Gundog Estate Rare Game Shiraz 2018. They can be complex and spicy, elegant and floral or even just juicy and smashable; their versatility makes them one of the best Australian red wines you can buy. A later harvest meant good overall quality. At least 25 Australian wine regions produce excellent Shiraz. For a full description of the country and its wines, see Australia. From old vine Grenache to classic Cabernet to some fantastic red blends to surprisingly tasty … Early harvest for structured, well-balanced fruit. It is grown in all regions and these different terroirs in combination with creative winemaking results in a complex array of styles and qualities. 2017 Volumes were 15% up on 2016. The alcohols are a far cry from stereotypical body-slammers. These are the best bottles of Australian Shiraz, picked by some of the country’s foremost sommeliers and wine connoisseurs. Nor should we overlook Coonawarra or Clare Valley, despite being better known for Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling respectively. Australian Wine Discovered Education Program, Travel bursaries & visiting scholar bursaries, Travel bursaries and visiting scholar bursaries, Wine Australia Licensing and Approval System (WALAS), Register of Protected GIs and Other Terms, Australian Government | Australian Grape and Wine Authority, With vineyards dating back to 1843 Australia has the world’s oldest Shiraz vines still in production, There are ungrafted, pre-phylloxera Shiraz vineyards spread across Australia with the single largest repository in the Barossa Valley, Shiraz is Australia’s best known and most widely planted variety, Grown in virtually every wine region in Australia, Shiraz is relatively adaptable and can be grown in moderate to cool regions as well as warm areas, Vinification techniques vary depending on style and quality, Whole bunch use has increased – destemming still very common, Shiraz partners well with several other varieties. Shiraz is the Australian name for syrah, a red grape varietal that's grown most often in Australia, Washington State, California and the Rhone Valley of France.Australia provides particularly good conditions for growing shiraz… It is designed as a balanced, modern collection of all styles of wine, including sparklers, whites, reds, sweet and fortified wines. Shiraz, what else is there to know about Australian wine, right? Increasingly, mid-bodied, elegant Shiraz – often labelled as Syrah – is being made in cooler climates: southerly locations like the Yarra Valley, Geelong, Mornington Peninsula and Tasmania, or higher-altitude places such as Orange, Canberra District and the Granite Belt. When Shiraz is at its best, the wines can be elegant and jammy red wines … There are many good red wine brands making ripping Pinots in Australia, and they can be made in so many marvellous ways. Stylistically, these wines are lush, fruit … It is a very, very good wine, but is it really the best shiraz in Australia? More tannins, more mout… 2009 Reduced volumes but wines were generously textured, {"api":{"host":"https:\/\/pinot.decanter.com","authorization":"Bearer NzMzZDU3ODY5OGU1YzRmNGNhMzJkMDhmMTkzMTM5ZTU3NTQ0NjA0MGJkODNlZDEzZjYwNDczMGY1Yzg2YWNhYQ","version":"2.0"},"piano":{"sandbox":"false","aid":"6qv8OniKQO","rid":"RJXC8OC","offerId":"OFPHMJWYB8UK","offerTemplateId":"OFPHMJWYB8UK","wcTemplateId":"OTOW5EUWVZ4B"}}, {"location":"Keystone Header","subscribeText":"Subscribe Now","version":"2","menuWidgetTitle":"","myAccountLnk":"\/wine-reviews\/account","premiumLnk":"\/subscribe","menuLnks":{"2":{"text":"My Wines","href":"\/wine-reviews\/my-wines"}},"colors":{"text":"#ffffff","button":"#decc8f","link":"#ffffff"}}, {"wineId":"22719","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"14522","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"21601","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"13920","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"14577","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"21979","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"21600","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"14578","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"15787","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"21602","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"13917","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"14579","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"13916","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"14581","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"13918","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"14580","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"14584","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"21603","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"14576","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"14582","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"21604","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"21605","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"21980","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"22717","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"23315","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"21608","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"21609","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"15000","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"18112","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"21607","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"21606","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"14586","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"14588","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"14589","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"17746","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"14587","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"21612","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"21613","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"21610","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, {"wineId":"14592","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}, Bordeaux: Château du Tertre sold in Margaux, Top Gevrey-Chambertin 2019 en primeur wines, Luczy: Why it’s time to revisit California Chardonnay, Anson: The brilliance of 1996 Pauillac wines, Top 2019 Côte Chalonnaise en primeur wines, Spanish wine in 2021: Top trends and the 10 bottles worth seeking out, Brunello di Montalcino: The 10 must-know estates, Burgundy 2019 en primeur: Full report plus top-scoring wines, Top Margaret River wines from recent vintages, Top Australian wines made from Italian grape varieties. The field included some of the greatest Australian … Eden Valley, located on higher ground above the Barossa Valley floor has also risen to greater prominence in the last few years. 2011 Cold, wet and late; a vintage to forget for many. The two varieties make up 44% of the total wine production. The classic blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre (GSM) in varying proportions has a long tradition, as does the Shiraz Cabernet blend, Co-fermenting a small proportion of Viognier with Shiraz has led to the trendy Shiraz Viognier style, Less reliance on new oak especially American, more use of French oak and combinations of different oak types for complexity, Use of older barrels for subtlety – some fresh, early-drinking styles see no oak at all, The is one of Australia’s oldest and best known regions for Shiraz, Barossa is home to some of the oldest Shiraz vines in the world – Langmeil Freedom vineyard is believed to have been planted in 1843 and is still producing today, Barossa Shiraz is one of the most widely available and best-known red wines in the global market, It is an important variety in the classic Shiraz-Cabernet and GSM blends, Full-bodied, richly textured wines with blackberry, pepper and spice characters, The Clare Valley is known for Riesling but the paradox is that Shiraz also thrives in this region, The warm days are ideal for the development of rich Shiraz flavours and the consistently cool nights aid in acid retention, Full-bodied richly textured wines with typical flavours of blackberry, black cherry, plum and licorice, Eden Valley is part of the greater Barossa Zone, Vineyards sit at higher altitudes which affects the growing conditions and style of wine, Harvest takes place up to two weeks later that the Barossa Valley, Henschke Hill of Grace is located in this region, Medium to full-bodied wines with classic blackberry, sage and pepper notes, Shiraz is ideally suited to this region and is the most planted variety, Shiraz thrives in the ancient Cambrian soils which are over 500 million years old, The weight and texture of the best wines is similar to Barossa but the flavour profile is very different, Medium to full-bodied wines with rich dark fruit and spice and an iron-like minerality, The Hunter Valley is Australia’s oldest wine producing region, Shiraz is one of the signature grapes of the region but the style is decidedly different to other famous regions such as Barossa and McLaren Vale, The growing season is warm and condensed but without big heat spikes, The wines are typically medium-bodied with red fruit and savoury characters, Temperatures in McLaren Vale are affected by the proximity of the sea – a classic Mediterranean climate, Shiraz is the most planted red variety and considered to be the signature grape of the region, Typically full-bodied wines with rich blueberry fruit and chocolate character. Yet good in Western Australia. In a sense, Shiraz has become a marketing brand for low-cost Australian wine worldwide, much to the chagrin of this country's competitors. … Shiraz creates medium to full-bodied wines with varying flavour profiles and structure depending on region, climate and winemaking techniques. From Queensland’s Granite Belt to Tasmania’s Tamar Valley, no other country offers such a range of Shiraz from a variety of terroirs. Barossa Valley The is one of Australia’s oldest and best known regions for Shiraz Barossa is home to some of the oldest Shiraz vines in the world – Langmeil Freedom vineyard is believed to have been... Barossa … 2015 Warm year with rapid ripening: generosity, perfume and silky textures. As you might guess, Australia’s main vineyard produce is Shiraz followed by Chardonnay. 2014 Cool and late season after a warm summer. Not quite as elevated or cool is the Adelaide Hills, but this region has more recently been turning heads as a counter-point to some of the more traditional Australian Shiraz styles in lower-altitude South Australian regions such as Barossa and McLaren Vale. A wide range of qualities exist. © 2020 Wine Australia. From Queensland’s Granite Belt to Tasmania’s Tamar Valley, no other country offers such a range of Shiraz from a variety of terroirs. Good ripening gave intense aromatics and flavours. The fruity red wine known as shiraz put Australia on the world wine-making map. 2013 Hot and dry. There is a $3.5 billion domestic market for Australian wines… Syrah produces dark red wines whose purest incarnation in the northern Rhône produces a wine with memorable aromas which can be smoky, floral, peppery, minty or spicy and often linked to a kind of medicinal or creosote-like character. Shiraz wine refers separately to two different well-known wines. An update of an original article by award-winning wine writer Huon Hooke, which was published on Decanter.com in September 2015. Browse by regions, use the search box or click on a producer name for contact information, services offered and more details. Wine-Searcher currently lists 5183 Australian Wine Producers. Barossa winemaker Peter Lehmann nailed it when he said: ‘When God invented Shiraz, he did it with Australia … Shiraz tends to come from warmer growing climates, namely the South Australian regions of Barossa, McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills. McLaren Vale Shiraz McLaren Vale produces full-bodied, full-flavoured Shiraz, usually with high colour, high alcohol and dark fruit flavours backe… Well, not so fast. Answer: no, it was not deemed the best in Australia, just the best of the 376 entries. The wine industry is a significant contributor to the Australian economy through production, employment, export and tourism.. Historically, the name refers to the wine produced around the city of Shiraz in Persia/Iran. Another way of adding more complexity, refinement and fragrance to cool-climate Australian Shiraz is with a bit of co-fermented Viognier – a deliberate homage to Côte-Rôtie. We’re going to put that to the test today with Syrah’s Australian nom de plume, Shiraz. Penfolds is one of the oldest wineries in Australia and is famed for its Grange label of red wine (predominantly Shiraz), which is easily Australia’s most famous wine. Shiraz thrives in moderate to warm climate areas. The final choice (well, it would be one of my first) is a wine that I think almost every Australian … Many of the Chardonnay and Shiraz plantings are being ripped out in favor of Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. Barossa Valley Shiraz The Barossa Valley is Australia’s premier Shiraz region and is the home of some of the oldest Shiraz vines in the world. Australian Wine Producers. See below for a selection of the best Australian Shiraz wines, as rated by our experts, with full tasting notes on each wine available exclusively to Premium members... At least 25 Australian wine regions produce excellent Shiraz. ... Full-bodied red wines like Shiraz and Merlot … 2012 Cool and dry summer led to a fine, concentrated vintage. What the production totals don’t say is that Australia is trying to diversify. Category:Red Wine, Brand:The Shiraz Republic, Location Of Origin:Australia… Cool climates, whether northern Rhône or Victoria and parts of Western Australia… That’s right: like Zinfandel (Primitivo), Grenache (Garnacha), and Pinot Grigio (Pinot … However, Shiraz put Australia on the wine map, and it permeates the wine shops in the four corners of the world. Barossa Shiraz typically shows plum, cherry and blackberry flavours with savoury tannins. Below we have compiled a list of the top Australian Shiraz wines as rated by Decanter’s experts. 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