THERE are more marvellous WA shiraz being produced each vintage than ever before.
Improvements in viticultural knowledge and winemaking technology have been augmented by improvements in craftsmanship.
WA shiraz, for good reason, has never been taken as seriously as cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay and there are no Penfold’s Grange and/or Henschke Hill of Grace equivalents in this state.
But WA shiraz is now gaining major national reviews, gold medals and trophies in all price ranges and the wines are regularly achieving new quality benchmarks.
Of the reasonably priced examples, grab the 2008 Sandalford Margaret River Shiraz (17.9 points and $22), which was a multiple trophy winner at Canberra.
WA’s finest Shiraz include the 2008 Sandalford Prendiville Shiraz and the 2008 Cherubino Shiraz, both at 18.5pts.
A recent masked WA shiraz line-up resulted in three Howard Park and Mad Fish shirazes clustered at the top end.
MadFish Gold Turtle Shiraz 2008
This shows the white pepper and lively and spicy fruit that typifies cool area shiraz.
The fruit has great length and the structure or ‘skeleton’ of the wine is wonderfully proportioned and a few months will see the fruit fill out and the wine become even more enjoyable.
Lovely drinking and among the best at this price.
17.8pts RRP $28
Howard Park Leston Shiraz Margaret River 2008
This is full of intrigue and an elegant, fruit-driven style with fine persistent tannins around the soft juicy and appealing Shiraz fruit. This is a young, fresh, well made and serious shiraz.
18pts RRP $40
Howard Park Scotsdale Shiraz Great Southern 2008
Now this is a satisfying mouthful.
While this wine too is soft, long, juicy and fruit-driven, it is seamless and almost opulent while retaining elegance.
The fruit is of even greater length than the Leston release and is better earlier drinking.
It too will improve for 10 years plus. Delicious. 18.2pts RRP $40
This tasting illustrates that Howard Park has had a marvellous 2008 shiraz vintage.