Rediscovering the Rutherglen Red
What you infer by the term ‘Rutherglen Red’ has everything to do with where you live, how old you are and your drinking habits. If you’re a well-seasoned wine drinker and you’ve lived in Victoria, it’s more than likely that you might still have a cellar of old Rutherglen reds: old tarry shirazes of leathery complexity and chocolatey charm.
Slightly less seasoned wine drinkers but experienced revelers might recall weekends in which they were transported from Melbourne to Rutherglen and back aboard an ageing red rattler of the same name. While it never quite achieved the international renown of Africa’s Blue Train or The Orient Express, it was still a train journey that served as a rite of passage for what then became some of our more hardened palates.
To the modern generation of young wine drinkers, from a generation perhaps rather more conservative and civilised than that which preceded it, the Rutherglen red is rather a more eclectic but worthy facet of a wine industry increasingly dominated by gigantic corporations. So many wine drinkers are today scouring Europe for rustic, old-style reds made in warmer climates from alternative and less fashionable red varieties. In Rutherglen’s unique collection of reds from grapes like durif, blue imperial known in Europe as cinsaut or oeillade and its stalwart shiraz, their answer might lie closer to home than they first imagined.
A proud relic from nineteenth century Australian wine, Rutherglen has managed to retain all the charm that has made it so attractive over the generations. It boasts an impressive collection of monumental old wineries, several of which like Mount Prior, All Saints and Fairfield are back in working order and charging along like an old restored Bentley. In some cases their National Trust Classifications could well be extended to include some of their liquid contents.
Of the big companies, only Orlando releases dry red made entirely from Rutherglen fruit. These wines are released under the Morris label and are grown and made on site by genuine Morrises, exactly the way they have always done it. Beringer Blass comes close, but its range of excellent and affordable shirazes sold under the Baileys of Glenrowan label are not strictly from the Rutherglen area. Southcorp has access to Rutherglen fruit, but it gets swallowed up into the several mid-market large-scale blends the company is famous for.
There’s nothing subtle or elegant about the Rutherglen red. Instead there’s an honesty and rustic charm rarely found in these days of high tech winemaking and hyped-up wine marketing. Ripe, chewy reds from makers like Morris, Stanton & Killeen, Baileys and Warrabilla, the emerging brand owned by Andrew Smith, offer plenty of bang for an affordable buck. Morris makes a first-rate collection of regional reds that includes Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Durif and Blue Imperial. Baileys has returned to the forefront of Victorian wine with its series of three shirazes from its Glenrowan vineyards: the lavishly fruited 1904 Block Shiraz, the 1920’s Block Shiraz and the ‘standard edition’ Shiraz. Stanton & Killeen’s Jack’s Block Shiraz is another sumptuous, long-term Rutherglen red, while Buller’s redoubtable Calliope Shiraz is a riper, more alcoholic and altogether robust expression.
Rather finer, tighter reds from Campbells and Anderson show the region can also achieve a measure of rustic elegance and tightness while retaining its typically sought-after richness and intensity. Campbells’ Bobbie Burns Shiraz is smooth and approachable, while the Anderson Shiraz is firm, earthy and smoky, with attractive leathery fruit. A recent tasting of Bobbie Burns Shiraz dating back to the 1975 vintage confirmed the longevity and quality of the style. While it’s a little riper and more spirity than any vintage before it, the 2000 Bobbie Burns is a sumptuous and chewy red with a peppery, violet-like perfume that will certainly please those of us who look seek strength and substance over delicacy and restraint.
Breakaway:
Ten of the Best Rutherglen Reds
Anderson Shiraz
Bailey’s 1920s Block Shiraz
Buller’s Calliope Shiraz
Campbell’s Bobbie Burns Shiraz
Jones LJ Shiraz
Morris Blue Imperial
Morris Durif
Pfeiffer Shiraz
Stanton & Killeen Jack’s Block Shiraz
Warrabilla Durif
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