Aussie Icons – Part 1
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Iconic Aussie Wines – part 1
While seeking out some information on the interweb recently, WineDown stumbled upon a list of ‘Iconic Actors’. It got off to a good start with Humphrey Bogart and Jimmy Stewart, wobbled a bit around Warren Beatty, then came to a most unexpected conclusion with Keanu Reeves. Absolutely nothing against the Canadian star who gifted the world not only his Ted, but also his Neo - but seriously… iconic??
It was enough to send WineDown scurrying for a restorative cup of hard tea to consider the issue. Had the list simply been allowed to go on too long, and the compiler run out of contenders? Or was the problem with the word itself? Like any other adjective, iconic can be seriously devalued by overuse. (Look what happened to awesome. It went from being a word reserved for life’s truly momentous occasions, to a descriptor for underpants.)
Definition
So let’s agree some boundaries for our iconic wines. We will require them to be Reputable – as evidenced by many years of trustworthy enterprise; Recognised – by independent, expert commentators, such as James Halliday, or the Langton’s Classification; and Revered for their quality, history, ageing capacity, and the value they represent. Many of our icons may also be Rare – wines that are the result of old, low-cropping vines, or are produced only in exceptional vintages.
Supreme Icon
At the pinnacle of Australia’s icons is a wine that readers will know well - if not from personal experience, then at least by reputation: Penfolds Grange. So much has already been said and written about the venerable Grange, that in this missive, WineDown will simply place it on its appropriately lofty pedestal and pay mute homage. And in any case, there are half a dozen or so iconic Aussies that may not be so universally feted, but that demand our attention, nevertheless. This is their day in the sun…
Seppelt St Peters Grampians Shiraz
Great Western Hermitage – as St Peters was then known – announced its aspirations early. Straight out of the gate, the inaugural 1964 vintage took out the ’65 Jimmy Watson Trophy for year-old reds. Fragrant and fine, the ’64 Hermitage showed intense blueberry, blackberry and violet aromas, with powdery tannins, and superb minerality and fruit concentration. It was an auspicious beginning. In 1998, GWH was renamed St Peters - in honour of the historic St Peters vineyard. (Planted in 1863, it was the first vineyard in the Grampians region.)
Today, Seppelt St. Peters Grampians Shiraz is sourced from the finest and most intense fruit from the best blocks of the Great Western Vineyard. But not every year. The Seppelt flagship is only released in exceptional years, and then only in small quantities. Each of these factors - combined with its extraordinary 50+ years’ cellaring potential – ensured St Peters’ designation of OUTSTANDING in Langton’s Classification of Australian Wine VI.
Penfolds St Henri Shiraz
St Henri was born in the 1950s, when Penfolds’ winemaker John Davoren began to experiment with small batches of a rich and juicy medium-bodied ‘claret’. Early trial releases were received well, and commercial production began in 1957. For many years, it stood shoulder to shoulder with Grange, until eclipsed by its stablemate’s burgeoning fame. But St Henri held firm to its style, and today is emerging from the shadow. Rare among high end Australian Shiraz in that it eschews new oak, St Henri is Shiraz au naturel - a distinctive alternative expression of Australia’s favourite varietal, and a fascinating counterpoint to Grange.
Rich and plush in youth, this South Australian multi-region blend develops soft, earthy coffee and mocha characters with age, and enjoys cellaring potential of 25+ years.
Wolf Blass Black Label Cabernet Shiraz Malbec
The Black Label burst onto the scene in 1974, when the ’73 Wolf Blass Black Label Dry Red Claret picked up the Jimmy Watson Trophy. It was a spectacular result by anyone’s reckoning, but when the two subsequent vintages repeated the success in a historic (and unparalleled) hat trick, Black Label’s place in the pantheon was assured. The Blass philosophy of taking the very best parcels of fruit and weaving them into a synergistic whole, to create a wine that is greater than the sum of its parts, has its apogee in the Black Label. For more than 44 vintages, this showpiece of the Wolf Blass range has exemplified the pursuit of blending perfection. Complex, powerful, and intensely fruited, the Black Label CSM promises 20+ years of sublime sipping.
Get into icons
Icon wines are not for every day, more’s the pity. But if 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that life is for living - and today IS the day! So, if you haven’t yet experienced these extraordinary wines, it’s time to stop denying yourself. And if the spirit of the season moves you, it’s worth remembering that iconic Aussie wines make truly momentous gifts. Awesome, dude!