Australia: Grape Varieties Flashcards
Australia: Shiraz
As per 2021, 55% are Black Varieties
- most planted
- 25% of total crush fruit weight
- adaptabel variety, comes in many styles
- Barossa, McLaren Vale - full bodied, high in alcohol and High levels of soft Tannins and pronounced dark fruit, earthy and spicy notes - leather character with age
- Yarra Valley, Grampians - medium body with medium alcohol, red and black cherry fruit and black pepper
- the trend is less intense styles with less new oak - French or American
- reducing extraction and whole bunch helps
- Widely used in GSM bleds -
- Shiraz -Viognier cofermented
- Shiraz is also blended with Cab Sauv to soften the same as with Merlot
Australia: Cabernet Sauvignon
- Single varietal range between cooler and warmer climate styles but all ten to be higher in acidity and tannins than Shiraz with ripe blackcurrant and cherry aromas
- oka is used in prem wines
- leading regions are Coonawarra with distinct mint and herbal aromas and Margaret River wher the style is more subtle and slightly riper ( blended with Merlot)
Australia: Merlot
-widely used in blends with Cabernet Sauvignon
-single varietal are medium bodied, with med tannins, red plum and fuller bodied with riper black fruit
-Better clones are raising the quality
Australia: Pinot Noir
- grown in cool to moderate regions such as Mornington, Yarra Valley and Tasmania
- Medium body, Med to High Acid, Cherry and Strawberry
- whole bunch for aromas and cold maceration to enhance colour and stem inclusion to influence the tannin structure
- maturation in french oak is most common but is being new oak reduced
Australia: Grenache
-only 1 % of crush but an important variety
Mainly used in GSM in South Australia
Bush vines in McLaren Vale, Eden and Barossa are now seen as premium single varietal wines
-newer style is lower alchol, higher acidity and fresher fruit flavours
-whole bunch is used to enhance aroamas and tannin structure
-small new oak barrels are overwhelming so more large barrels are used for maturation
Australia: Chardonnay
- most planted white found in almost every region
- style is leaner, picked early with less oak
- -inexpensive wines are SS fermented and oak comes from chips or old barrels
- Premium wines are citrus, peach , medium to med plus acid, well integrated oak
- Complexity, balance and texture comes from ambient yeat, leaving higher solids in ferment, barrel ferment, lees ageing and French oak maturation
- MLFC depends on the climate and style
- sometime blended with Semillon for box wines
Australia: Sauvignon Blanc
-widely planted - cooler climate are mid priced , warmer to hot are inexpensive and fruti driven
-less herbaceous than NZ
-best exaples come from Adelaide Hills - intense citrus to tropical
Fermented in SS bu with some lees contact or old oak for prem wines
-Margaret River blends with Semillon for a Bordeaux style
Australia: Pinot Grigio
- picked early for a neutral style associated with northern Italy
- -Picked late to produce a fruiter, riper, spicy, Alsace style Pinot Gris
- Finest wines come from Mornington and Tasmania
Australia: Semillon
- Low alcohol, high acidity , unaoked style from Hunter Valley - fairly neutral ijn youth but develops to a great aromatic complexity with 5-10 yrs in bottle
- Fuller bodied Semillon from the Barossa is not as popular or ageworthy
- Some producers are picking earlier for a lighter style with little/ no oak
- Noble rot makes complex sweet wines in the Riverina valley eg. De Bertoli Noble
Australia: Rielsing
-coller regions Clare , Eden Valley, Great Southern, Tasmania, and Canberra are est for Riesling .
-sweeter , alter harvest syles are also found but Australians prefer bone dry and with high acid
Ranges from apple, lemon, grapefruit, lime to peach
-most wines are fermented in in SS and bottled soon after to keep the vibrant fruit and floral aromas
Prem wines made soley from free run juice may be higher in sugar and acid but low in phenolics - lees ageing and skin contact to add texture and weight
Australia: Muscat Gordo Blanco
-Muscat of Alexandria is used in sparkling Moscato
- - grown alongside Colombard in the Riverland, Murray Darling and Riverina, these grapes are a cheap blending partner for Chardonnay in box / inexpensive wines
- plantings decreasing
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