Description

Still young and raw, this Craiglee Sparkling Shiraz offers a lot from the first opening. Crimson in colour, there is stong blueberry, along with currants, white pepper with a sweet raw beef and yeast evident too.

The palate of Craiglee Sparkling Shiraz is leathery, with currants and pepper. The acid is zesty with fine fruit tannins and dark grapes. The finish is almost like a lovely Italian amaro.

Leave this wine for the long term and reap the rewards.

The latest Craiglee Sparkling Red is made from vintage 2019. Craiglee Sparking Shiraz has been barrel-aged for 12 months before undergoing Méthode Champenoise bottle fermentation. Liqueur was added at 12g/l to create a lighter, drier style. This will match well with pork dishes and poultry for Christmas.

Craiglee Sparkling Shiraz No. 8 2019, and all wines are eligible for at least 5% off any six bottles. And 10% off any 12 bottles. Some wines will be at a more significant discount and not subject to further discounts.

In the unlikely region of Sunbury is Craiglee – one of Australia’s best Shiraz producers. James Stewart Johnston, a member of the Victorian Parliament, and a prominent local businessman, originally planted vines at Craiglee in 1863. Craiglee Vineyard is now operated by Patrick Carmody and his family. Patrick planted vines on the site of the original vineyard in 1976 and processed the first wine in 1979. The first commercial quantity was released in 1982 with the 1980 shiraz.

Craiglee Sparkling Shiraz No. 8 2019 Winery Notes

“2019 Shiraz wine was barrel aged and then underwent the methode champenoise. Liqueur was added to create a lighter, drier style which matches well with pork dishes and poultry for Christmas.”

Sunbury

Sunbury is close to Melbourne and known for Shiraz. The cool, dry climate allows Shiraz to slowly ripen and show off the amazing white pepper and dark fruits it is known and loved for. Craiglee if by far the most famous producer of the region. But there is a long history of great wine from the area, dating back to the 1800s.

Sparkling Shiraz/Sparkling Red

Originally called Sparkling Burgundy, Sparkling Shiraz comes from the late 1800s. The Victorian Champagne Company collaborated with the French winemaker Auguste D’Argent. Their Sparkling Burgundy was rose-coloured. Fellow Frenchmen Edmund Mazure worked in South Australia to make a rival. Based on Shiraz, his full-bodied example has provided the archetype that still lasts.

Shiraz/Syrah

A bit of a chameleon, Shiraz can change how it looks depending on the terroir and/or winemaker influence. The Syrah-based wines of Northern Rhone are dry and austere. While the Shiraz of Barossa is rich and fleshy. A variety that lends itself to long aging but can be drunk at any time of its evolution.

Australian Wine

The invasion of “Sunshine in a bottle” put Australian wine on the map.  The fruity, easy-going, somewhat samey wines were endearing for a short time. Then the next big thing knocked them off their perch.

This forced producers to increase quality and emphasise the special terroirs of Australia. Of which, there are many. And many more yet to be discovered.

Wine

Wine is the result you get from fermented grape juice. There is proof of wine production dating back 8000 years ago. Fashions, innovations and many other factors have influenced the way wine has evolved over the years.

The wine grape is special. It contains everything you need to make grape wine except for the yeast, which lives on the outside of the skins.

Human inputs can influence the final product, including the viticulture (growing) choices. And the winemaker can shape the wine to a point too.

The best wines of the world often refer to terroir. Terroir is a French term that refers to all the climatic, geological and topographical influences on a specific piece of land. And it is true that neighbouring vineyards, grown identically, can taste noticeably different.

Red Wine

Fun fact; most of the colour for wines comes from the skins. There are only a handful of grapes that have red juice. Alicante is the most well known of these grapes.

By macerating the juice on the skins, the wine gains tannins and flavours. Certain compounds change the chemistry of the wine too.

Red wines tend to have higher alcohol. More tannin and more oak flavours compared to other styles of wine. But the thousands of grapes and terroirs they grow in influence this.

The Wine Depository

I, Phil, have been running The Wine Depository since 2011. The Wine Depository exists to make sure you are drinking the good wines. You can browse and pick what is interesting to you. Or you can make contact with me. I’ll make sure you get what you want, to your palate, to your budget and to your door.