How good are the wines made from new red grapes in Australia?

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Question submitted by Gerard Chong, Singapore

Australia is well known worldwide for its shiraz and shiraz-cabernet blends, but how is it faring when it comes to other varietals such as tempranillo, sangiovese, mourvedre, etc? What is the likelihood of world-class wines from such varietals coming out of Australia?

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Ten years ago there was almost a monotonous Francophilic aspect about Australian wine. If it was growing in Australia, the variety was more than likely to be French, ie cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, chardonnay, pinot noir, merlot, cabernet franc, mourv’dre, grenache, semillon or sauvignon blanc. There has been a valuable contribution from Germany for some years, especially from the now relatively minor varieties of riesling and gerwurztraminer, but other than that there had not been much other than the occasional Spanish sherry variety like palomino planted in anything approaching a serious area.

Fortunately, the last ten to fifteen years have witnessed a significant broadening of the Australian varietal mix. While I wouldn’t claim it to be anything other than very early days for these varieties in this country, there are now something approaching serious areas under vine of grapes like tempranillo, sangiovese, barbera, pinot gris, viognier of which of course the latter two are still French and a promising start to grape varieties such as nebbiolo and lagrein.

Winemakers and grape growers only get the chance to experiment with their new varieties once a year, so it can be a frustratingly slow process for them to become accustomed to the variety and the way it interacts with their vineyard sites, and for them to learn which clones of the grape might be most suitable. Australia, for instance, has several living genetic banks of most important international varieties which can be converted into planting rootstocks, but there has been a significant development around the world over the last two decades to isolate the most expressive clones of most major wine grapes. Australia doesn’t necessarily have old vine resources of the best clones, so it can take some time for them to be introduced and then made widely available.

Furthermore, it can take up to twenty years, if recent experience is anything to go by, for winemakers to adapt their techniques in the cellar to best capture and retain the characteristics that make the major varieties special and distinctive. So there are very few overnight sensations when it comes to new varieties in new places – this usually requires a massive amount of what several growers have actually experienced – the fortuitous placement of new grapes in vineyards that are actually ideally suited to them.

So, it is actually premature for me to suggest that Australia is already making large numbers of world-class wines from varieties like those you mention. There are several excellent wines already, but they’re honestly a small percentage of the experimental work that is happening.

Ask me the same question in ten years, however, and I am confident that my answer will be considerably more positive. By then I am certain that a large number of growers and makers will have fine-tuned their vineyards and their cellar practices.

For the time being then, what are the best Australian wines from ‘new’ red varieties? Here is a list of fifteen wines that you might like to experiment with. They’re honestly worth trying.

Montrose Barbera

Primo Estate Joseph Nebbiolo

Jasper Hill Georgia’s Paddock Nebbiolo

Coriole Sangiovese

Pizzini Sangiovese

Castagna La Chiave Sangiovese

Domain Day Sangiovese

Pikes Luccio Sangiovese Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon

Primo Estate Il Briccone Shiraz Sangiovese

Ingham’s Skilly Ridge Tempranillo

Tim Adams Reserve Tempranillo

Brown Brothers Tempranillo

Yalumba Tempranillo Grenache Viognier

d’Arenberg The Sticks & Stones Tempranillo Grenache Souzao

Gemtree Vineyards Bloodstone Tempranillo


In my view, the wines listed above from Castagna, Tim Adams, Pizzini and Primo Estate can be truly world-class, already!
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