Hailed as, “unadulterated, iconic Australian epicness” by Langworthy, you cannot go wrong when choosing this magnificent wine as your drink-of-choice. As Australia’s most popular red grape, and with an abundance of optimum climates nationwide fostering this beautiful grape varietal – each varying in terroir – it is no wonder that the unassuming shiraz remains unsurpassable as a red wine, with such an abundance of varietals available.

TREMENDOUS TERROIR

Terroir is a term that all wine enthusiasts should be familiar with; intangible and subtle, terroir is a phrase that is used readily but can be difficult to isolate. The classic definition of terroir refers to the combination of sun, soil, and climate present during the grape’s growth and maturation. While the uninitiated wine enthusiasts’ main consideration is often the strains of grape that contribute to the production of each variety of wine, terroir encapsulates the unique growing conditions present when the wine is produced, that will naturally change with each winery and every passing season.

Given this, shiraz can vary dramatically depending on where it is grown. Known as both the syrah and shiraz grape, “shiraz is, simply put, Australia’s greatest grape”. “Grown across the country in a myriad of different styles it’s exciting and rewarding, and it’s the varietal that brought Australia’s wines to the world,” Langworthy enthuses. “I think our site high in the Pyrenees at Dalwhinnie is pretty damn close to optimum. Relatively high in altitude with warm days and cool nights, with an amphitheatre of hills providing a multitude of aspects and stony lean soils [which] ensure that the vines are not overly vigorous,” Langworthy notes when probed about the ideal terroir needed to produce an exquisite shiraz.

Something as fundamental as the weather can significantly dictate the flavour profiles present in the wine produced, and ultimately also contributes to the terroir. Shiraz thrives under a range of conditions, though it is generally considered to excel in warmer climes. Cooler climates often produce shiraz with marginally less alcohol content and in a manner that is closer to the customary French style. “Shiraz thrives across this great country; however, I am more than a little bit partial to the Pyrenees region of Victoria!” the winemaker exclaims.

IN GOOD TASTE

If Shiraz does indeed vary significantly depending on its unique terroir, and Langworthy explains that its versatility also allows for “an amazing range of flavours and [it can be] styled depending on where it is grown and what the winemaker decides to do with their grapes”. “At its heart, however, there is always lovely plush fruit flavours,” Langworthy explains. In terms of taste, shiraz is typically characterised as a rich wine, accented by juicy dark fruits, and undercut with zesty spice or subtle peppery notes. “The grapes taste of dark plums and blackcurrant when they are perfectly ripe, with notes of spice – just like the wines.”

“Dalwhinnie Wines has been making our shiraz in a similar fashion for more than forty years and it’s a pretty tried and true method,” Langworthy notes, before detailing the winemaking process. “Our [method] is very simple. Carefully handpicked fruit is brought to the winery where it is destemmed and allowed to ferment for ten to twelve days. Once this process is complete, we age the wine in French oak barrels for sixteen to twenty months until it’s smooth and deviously drinkable.”

Also lending itself well to being blended with other grapes and therefore forming unique and daring blends, shiraz’s versatility is endless. “Shiraz is a super blending varietal; shiraz grenache blends are great and very famous but I also love shiraz and malbec, or shiraz viognier’s too,” Langworthy affirms. Though he concludes by mentioning, “shiraz is always rewarding in my books, with dark ripe fruit flavours and silky tannin structures.”