I realized recently that my Australian consumption and purchasing has been dropping, but when grilling a steak I still wanted a nice Shiraz. Off to the cellar I went, and came back with the 2001 Kay Brothers Amery Hillside Shiraz, the second wine from this producer (their Block 6 is typically regarded as one of the benchmarks of Aussie wine). This wine was supposed to be good, but based on my experiences, aging Aussie wines has been hit or miss. Well, I can definitely say this was a hit. What a fantastic wine - it didn't just slap you like a young Aussie fruit bomb would, but had instead settled into a wonderful place where the fruit had balanced out wonderfully and gave a longer elegant finish.
I feel I have been influenced a lot over the past year or so as many people turn against Aussie wines, and that may be unfair. I think it is easy to tire of the Aussie wines, as after a while many of the fruit bombs do tend to be the same, and I love variety.
Also, I noted that my experience with aging Aussie wines has been hit or miss. However, most of those are wines that were in the $20 range - once you move up a notch in price, it does make a difference. These wines in the $40-50 range might be pricey, but it's looking like a lot of them do have some nice aging potential. This wine was really a treat to me, and I think I really hit it at a sweet spot. It reminded me what Australia is capable of - these wines can stand up to great Rhone Syrahs once they get some age. It just means being a little more selective with my purchases for the future. I'll definitely check out more from the Kay Brothers when I can find it.
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