Extraordinary Expressions

The expression “It’s a matter of taste” usually means “This issue is subjective and there is room for different opinions”.

This is not always so in the world of wine. Matters of taste often provide the basis for long running bitter feuds, particularly when the taste being questioned happens to be that of The Wine Advocate’s Robert Parker.

In 2005 matters came to a head between Parker and the redoubtable James Halliday, a well regarded winemaker himself, but more importantly the doyen of Australian wine writers. His Australian Wine Companion, published annually, is regarded by many of his countrymen, and by wine lovers overseas, as the most authoritative guide to the wines of the country.
Addressing the Wine Press Club of New South Wales, Halliday compared the findings of Australia’s wine show judges with the scores awarded by Parker to what he described as “monstrous red wines”, meaning vintages high in alcohol.

The gist of his argument was that Australia should be moving towards wines with what he considered a higher degree of finesse.

Parker, not surprisingly, disagreed, accusing Halliday and those who shared his opinions of turning “their backs and palates on the true glories of Australia,” and the winemakers Halliday champions of making “vapid, innocuous and no better than very minor wines”.
The wines of the southern hemisphere have always tended to pack more of a punch than those of the north but many “New World” winemakers are now working to reduce their alcoholic content.

Parker, however, remains unrepentant. He likes big powerful reds, with, as he elegantly puts it, “gobs of fruit”, and so long as he continues to award points to them in the 95 to 100 range, they will continue to command hefty prices – particularly if they come from estates able to make only a small number of cases per year.

Parker has a number of consistent favourites, and three of them are from the Barossa Valley – Torbreck, Chris Ringland and Greenock Creek.

Thanks to some prescient buying on the part of HK Golfer’s Cellar Master, we had some Greenock Creek available to taste, and a decision was taken to sample a little of the 2006 Alices Shiraz.

Greenock Creek is a winery in the Seppeltsfield area of South Australia’s Barossa Valley, and was established as a boutique winery in 1978, initially producing Shiraz and Chardonnay. Winemaker and owner Michael Waugh now focuses exclusively on reds – Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache – and the wines are known as powerful expressions of Barossa terroir, sometimes reaching alcohol levels of 18 per cent. That’s stronger than some Australian ports, and only two per cent weaker than most Portuguese ones.

There are only 45 acres of vines, and yields are low. The winery produces only around 2,500 cases per year.

It used to be said of a Parker score that if the wine rated below 80 it couldn’t be sold, and if it scored above 90 nobody could afford to buy it. That’s no longer quite true, but a high Parker score will still drive up the price considerably. Parker likes Greenock Creek a lot, and their limited production keeps the prices high at auction.

The 2006 Alices Shiraz just makes it over the 90 barrier at 91+ but the 2003 got 97 points and the 2004 made 98.

The Wine Advocate recommends laying it down until 2015, but if you decant some hours before trying it opens up tremendously and can be enjoyed now. Decanting is necessary but it's well worth the wait. Generous berry fruit and sound tannic structure are very apparent and, at 17 per cent ABV, this is certainly a vintage that port drinker's will love.

HK Golfer is offering a selection of Greenock Creek wines of impeccable provenance for sale from the company cellar, including the ultra rare 2001 Roennfeldt Road and 2004 Creek Block Shiraz, both of which Parker awarded 99+. They are listed below with their Wine Advocate or Parker scores.

“If I had to select the number one Australian winery, it would be hard not to choose the Greenock Creek Winery, run by the humble, shy Michael and Annabelle Waugh. The quality that emerges from this estate is extraordinary. In short, these are thrilling, world-class wines that are about as compelling as wine can be,” says Parker.

Written by Robin Lynam