New wave Australian wines to try
One of the best things about Australia is the number of winemakers keen to experiment with new styles and lesser known grape varieties to produce something completely different. Decanter's tasting team recommends five to try...
Australia built its international reputation on big, fruit-led wines. Think Barossa Shiraz and oaky Chardonnay.
More recently, there has been an upsurge in the popularity of cooler-climate wines, such as Eden Valley Riesling, Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir, or Chardonnay from Adelaide Hills.
Beyond this, and outside of the country’s benchmark wines, Australia is also a hotbed of experimentation. This has been going on for a while, but it’s only relatively recently that some of the results have found their way beyond Aussie shores.
If you can, get a flight to Adelaide and visit a few cellar doors. In the meantime, Decanter‘s tasting team has picked five wines to seek out – mostly available in the UK with a couple also on shop shelves in the US.
Experimental Australian wines:
Wines updated 26/1/2018
Penfolds, g3, South Australia, Australia
This new wine from Penfolds is a super-blend of Grange from casks of the 2014 and 2012 vintages, and the 2008 from bottle, matured together...
Penfolds
Paxton Vineyards, Quandong Farm Single Vineyard Shiraz, McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia, 2015
David Paxton is one of Australia’s top biodynamic winemakers, and Quandong Farm was the first of his vineyards to be converted. This single vineyard highlights...
2015
Paxton VineyardsMcLaren Vale
David Franz, Grenache Noir, Adelaide Hills, South Australia, Australia, 2015
David Franz's mission to 'capture "Burgophile" sensibilities from old vine Barossa Grenache' has surely been accomplished. Fragile and delicate in appearance, this packs impressive intensity...
2015
David FranzAdelaide Hills
Cullen, Mangan East Block, Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia, 2016
A groundbreaking blend from Vanya Cullen with a brooding quality that has immediacy in its beguiling blackberry pastille flavours. Ageworthy, yet hard to resist.
2016
CullenMargaret River
Domaine Simha, Beauregard Amphora Pinot Noir, Derwent Valley, Tasmania, Australia, 2015
93
Harvested on a biodynamic calendar flower day, skilfully fermented in amphora with 100% whole-bunch for three months then aged in tank. Dried sweet spice, peony and mineral-inflected sappy red cherry, with the slinkiest tannins.
2015
Domaine Simha
Jim Barry, Assyrtiko, Clare Valley, South Australia, Australia, 2016
This first commercial release of Assyrtiko by Jim Barry is the culmination of a decade of work, after Peter Barry and wife Sue first tasted...
2016
Jim BarryClare Valley
VineMind, Shiraz Malbec, Clare Valley, South Australia, Australia, 2015
A new project in the Clare Valley by Colin and Jen of Some Young Punks. Hand picked fruit undergoes a long maceration and is matured...
2015
VineMindClare Valley
