Whatever Happened to the Good Old-Fashioned Red?

“The important thing with the 1874 Lafite is to taste the wine in its historical context. In 1874 the Impressionists were painting, Brahms was composing and Paris was just over the Commune.”

Michael Broadbent, Master of Wine.

In our modern age of whizz-bang new grape varieties, fermentation techniques, induced malolactic fermentations and ultra-filtration, it’s easy to forget the wines that got us going in the beginning. Once regarded as the state of the winemaking art, they’re now spoken of rather apologetically as traditional and old-fashioned. Australia made its name on the strength of its great red wines, but what has happened to them since? Do they have descendants or did they just die out? The sad truth of the matter is that if they’re not quite extinct yet, then they’re battling to survive.

It’s always a pleasure to introduce someone to their first, classic old-fashioned wine. The serious frown that follows the initial wide-eyed amazement questions whether or not such pleasure is possible. People learn to revere and not just admire good old-fashioned wine.

In case you’ve forgotten, what is an old-fashioned red wine really like? They’re usually made with riper, sometimes jammy fruit, which influences the flavour. Because they are pressed during the latter half of fermentation and not after it, their tannic extract can be massive while hard and aggressive in the extreme.

Our traditional reds were not given much in the way of small new oak maturation. Max Schubert introduced this technique to Australia in the early ‘fifties with the first Grange Hermitage. Wines were aged in those huge thousand-gallon casks whose vast and dusty forms still haunt some of our older cellars, although they were pensioned out of duty years ago. Because this wood was so much older, and their volume to surface-area ratio so much greater, the arresting ‘oakiness’ of a modern red wine was a thing of the future. The large wood, however, oxidised and ‘matured’ the wines admirably. Old-fashioned reds owed their depth, weight and flavour to their combination of fruit and tannin.

It wasn’t so long ago that acidity, referred to by technocrats and wine snobs as pH, simply wasn’t an issue. Grapes were picked when they had become sweet enough and had enough flavour, usually judged by taste. The contemporary science of terpene analysis and levels of free volatile flavones in juice would have been pure gobbledegook to winemakers past, just as they are still to many winemakers present.

Today’s winemakers monitor their acid levels carefully, although it’s fortunate that pH is no longer the be-all and end-all it was ten years ago. It’s quite legal and acceptable to add acid to wine in Australia, in pure forms of the acids naturally found in grape juice, to boost sometimes flagging levels, thereby giving the wine more zing, finish and bottle-life. Seeing acid was never considered a problem in Australian winemaking, older styles sometimes lacked it.

So, by putting together the combination of ripe, sometimes stewy fruit, with big tannin, only moderate acidity, very little oak character, but a softness from extended maturation in large casks, you have the typical Australian red of yesteryear. The best of them were cleverly made with good balance and structure, so they lived for ages. Poorer examples lost their fruit and acidity before their tannin, so after a few years naught was left but for a dull, brackish fluid tasting of bitter old wood. Few can deny, however, that a classic old Australian red is an experience worth paying for.

So what’s changed since? The best modern reds are extremely complete and stylish at a young age, with layers of complexity and obvious finesse. Their lines are smooth, their pedigree clear. If anything, the most exciting of the modern Australian reds are made with techniques combining traditional French processes with modern Australian technical flair. For example, an increasing number are given an extended period of maturation on skins after fermentation to acquire a better-integrated complement of tannin.

Today maturation of our wines in small casks is standard practice and, many who can afford it operate at or above the generally accepted level of a one-year average cask age. Winemakers experiment with different oaks from different countries and forests to find the best complement to their fruit. Acidity is now given its due, either by adding acid back to the wine or by selecting fruit from cooler climates, which are harvested with a higher degree of natural acidity.

Advances in fermentation technology allow better extraction of flavour and colour, with more control over tannin and bitterness. If the wine is to be made more approachable and drinkable sooner, the resources are available to keep tannin right down, without adversely affecting flavour and balance. The only drawback is that the wines don’t cellar as so long.

The best older-style wines certainly stand the test of time. At maturity they are soft and smooth with a long, mellow mouthfeel; rich and dry. At their peak, their tannins and acids will have all but softened out, allowing the full expression of complex developed flavours on nose and palate.

Some of the younger modern wines can taste extraordinary after only a year of age. Young examples of older styles always look awkward, ungainly and uncomplicated next to the stylish modern blends. Time has yet to tell whether or not the best of the younger wines develop as well as the older classics.

As I began with, few real traditional styles are made in Australia today. The question is, why? Are enough winemakers being encouraged to make these older-fashioned cellaring wines, or are they finally to become a thing of the past?

An examination of results from major wine shows reveals that the more stylish modern wines are clearly favoured in young wine classes. That’s to be expected, for as I’ve suggested, they’re much more complete and approachable at this age than the traditional wines. Where the older styles have a hope – and occasionally win – is amongst the open classes, where age doesn’t preclude entry. Here the shows score the older styles heavily once they have enough development, but also point up modern early-drinking reds that often don’t last the full distance when cellared. The old Hunter shirazes and Victorian cabernets now stand more of a chance, for wines of corresponding maturity are being compared.

So, at the end of the day, what is ultimate in red wine quality? Do we judge reds by the standard of the famous, unaffordable but utterly brilliant 1965 Lindemans Hunter River Burgundy Bin 3110 which I didn’t hesitate in giving 19.5 from 20 in a recent tasting or by the modern alternative, like the Lindemans Pyrus 1986?

Ultimately it comes down to you, the drinker, who must decide what sort of wine you prefer – young or old, modern or traditional. People tend to vote with their feet and buy the modern wines more frequently than not, but that’s partly because they can’t afford to give the bigger, traditional wines the time they need.

Most real enthusiasts know the old-fashioned styles have a real place in wine today. If you start buying more, there’s more of a chance your children will be able to enjoy them too.


Some Recommended Old-
Fashioned Australian Wines

New South Wales

Lindemans Hunter River Burgundy
McWilliams Philip Hermitage
Tullochs Pokolbin Dry Red
Tyrrells Dry Red Vat 5

South Australia

Birk’s Wendouree Shiraz
Laira Original Vineyard Shiraz
Mamre Brook Cabernet Shiraz
Penfolds St Henri Claret
Rockford Black Shiraz
St Hallett Old Block Shiraz

Victoria

Campbells Shiraz
Chateau Tahbilk Cabernet Sauvignon
Morris Durif
Mount Ida Shiraz
Redbank Sally’s Paddock
Stanton and Killeen Moodemere Shiraz
Taltarni Cabernet Sauvignon

Western Australia

Evans and Tate Gnangara Shiraz Please login to post comment