By The Glass
JAY KAM
Wednesday, November 28, 2001
Due to diligent work by some wholesalers, Hawaii has been receiving some top wines from Australia not available in many other parts of the country. We should take advantage of this opportunity and enjoy them. High-end Australian reds
have luscious fruit characterThose who like robust, fruity and jammy Zinfandels or big, juicy Cabernets from California ought to give high-end Australian reds a try. Australian Shirazs have their own style, but they share characteristics with big Zins and fruit-bomb Cabernets.
First, they have gobs of luscious fruit character, making these wines immediately appealing. Second, they have low perceptible tannins, making them easy to drink. And third, their high alcohol levels are masked by all the bold flavors.
Australia had been known for value wines of $10 or less, but we are witnessing a transformation. Consider some of these higher-end suggestions:
2000 Torbreck Juvenile ($33-$38) is appropriately named for a wine that never is aged in oak. The fresh, lively fruit will please most wine drinkers, but surprisingly this Grantee, Sarah and Mouvedre blend has great complexity and layers of flavor. Something like yakitori or marques (lamb sausages) will match well.
1999 Noon Eclipse ($40-$45) is another small-production, hard-to-find, good quality wine that has attractive fruit but is backed with complexity. A blend of primarily Grenache and Shiraz, it is smooth, rich and structured enough to age medium-term.
1997 Trevor Jones Shiraz "Wild Witch" ($55-$60) is not quite as huge and bold, but still has a lot of robust, juicy fruit flavors. Made from old vines, which usually produce wines of greater character, this is more of a medium-bodied Shiraz with finesse.
Jay Kam is president of Vintage Wine Cellar.
This column is a weekly lesson in wine
pairing written by a rotating panel of wine professionals.
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