PALMARIUM SHIRAZ

Shiraz (or Syrah overseas) is a variety of slightly sweet, dark-skinned grapes. They are the offspring of an arcane line and were created when the dark skinned Dureza was crossed with the Mondeuse Blance, a white skinned grape. It’s hardiness has allowed it to flourish in dry climates so long as soils permit deep root infiltration. Today, it ranks as the world’s sixth most planted grape and produces a deep colored and concentrated red wine with excellent aging potential. It is arguably one of Australia’s most important wine exports.

The traditional Shiraz from France can be found on the steep and rocky hills in the Northern Rhone Valley. Grown in the sandy and mineral rich soils, the traditional Shiraz has benefitted from deep root penetration and ripens best in the dry climate of the Rhone Valley.

Australia has a well earned global reputation for Shiraz, coming from the temperate climate regions of McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, Clare, Heath cote and the Hunter Valley.These areas are considered to produce some of the best Australian Shiraz.

The Barossa Valley lies in South Australia and almost half of the vines are Shiraz; some of the vines date as early as the mid 19th century. The transverse valleys and sloping hills helps to create a unique microclimate that influences the growth and hence, quality of the grape harvested in the Barossa Valley. The unique microclimate, along with the warm weather and extreme temperatures between night and day serves to ripen the fruit, but also balance acidity. As a result Shiraz from the Barossa Valley can be a superior wine.

The Hunter Valley experiences a warm climate and shorter growing season. This results in medium bodied wines with a unique earthy and savoury taste.

The Clare Valley’s warmer climate with a capacity for extreme temperatures serves to create an acidic, yet vibrant taste. Wine from this area carries a flavour that has a strong emphasis on black cherry, liquorice and plum.

In McLaren Vale, the dry climate, long warm days and short cool nights has a similar effect as the Clare Valley. However, attention to soil strata and emphasis on creative expression, results in a fresh and innovative interpretation of the Australian Shiraz.

Over an hour north of the city of Melbourne, lies the Heathcote Valley. Archaic soils and a warm climate that has consistently produced Shiraz that has dazzled the world. The fine tannins, velvet texture and great ageing potential is characteristic of Australia’s Shiraz heritage.

Australia’s Shiraz industry is vibrant. Each region offers a different interpretation of Australian Shiraz. Palmarium has produced Super Premium Shiraz in three of the five regions we believe represent the great wonders of Australian Shiraz. Our Super Premium Shiraz reflects the past, the present and the future in what we believe is and will continue to be a dynamic industry.

Governor Phillip brought the first vine cuttings on-board the First Fleet in 1788. These were planted in what is now Macquarie Street, Sydney. Unfortunately for him and the administrators in the then penal colony in Sydney Cove, poor management led to the demise of the cuttings. Little would he have imagined, the ignition of a cultural evolution that would persist over two centuries later.

The first Shiraz vines were imported into Australia from Spain and France in 1832 by celebrated viticulturist, James Busby. Despite its modern-day reverence, until the mid 19th century, Shiraz was not a household name. In fact, it was described by bin numbers or generic descriptions such as Claret, Burgundy and even Hermitage. Only when Australia’s wine industry adopted the name Shiraz and began to market it as the quintessential Australian red wine, did international recognition occur.

Today, the brand recognition of Australian Shiraz is so potent, that similar varieties from its ancestral home in France and Spainand across the worldhave also adopted the Shiraz name. So how did Australia’s Shiraz become Australian Shiraz?

Australian Shiraz began when Dr Christopher Penfold arrived in Adelaide in 1844 and established Magill Estate on the Grange. It was initially promoted by physicians as a treatment for anaemic patients.

When Silesian immigrants settled in the Barossa Valley in the 1850s, they brought their skills and refining production to deliver a more consistent quality and higher output. These earlier vintages resembled the characteristics of today’s Australian Shiraz. The full-bodied blackberry and plum nature transformed Australian Shiraz from the component of a blend, to a stand-alone wine.

However, the renaissance of Australian Shiraz only emerged from the efforts of revered winemaker, Max Schubert. Today, he is best known as the creator of Grange Hermitage, which arguably is the best Australian Shiraz, certainly the most recognised. After a pilgrimage to Bordeaux, Schubert was inspired to create a wine with an aging potential of at least twenty years. He found the perfect marriage by maturing his Shiraz in American oak casks. Upon release to the public, the Penfolds 1952 vintage won acclaim and has since become the paragon to claim the title of Australia’s greatest red.

Despite the renaissance that matured the Australian Shiraz industry, it was not until globalisation occurred that Australian Shiraz became internationally renowned. Priced competitively and with modern labels that stood as a contrast to the Old World producers, who sold with aged labels at astronomical prices.Australian Shiraz winemakers entered the market as the enfant terrible. The increasing size of the middle class and hubris of the Old World producers provided the perfect catalyst for the bombastic entrant to stand out on the international stage. The intense bold flavours and exotic origin of the Australian Shiraz appealed to influencers such as Robert Parker Jr, which led to widespread recognition that has persistent to this day.

At Palmarium, we hope to challenge, not the authority of the Penfolds 1952 but how you, our customers define a great Australian red. This means challenging your opinion of the aroma, the taste, the dryness and to that end, it’s personality. And while the Penfolds 1952 has carried the mantle of Australia’s greatest red, we work everyday to offer an alternative at a price point way below the cost of a bottle of Penfolds Grange.

The diversity and versatility of Shiraz lends itself to a range of different meals. From sweet and ripe to savory. Shiraz has been paired to great affect with grilled or roast beef, spiced cuts such as brisket or even in stews. For the auspicious occasion, try pairing our Super Premium Shiraz with roasted lamb, or even strong hard cheese such as cheddar.

And if you’re game, pair it with exotic meat such as kangaroo and venison. Bold, diverse and innovative. It is this diversity that confers Shiraz the title of the great Australian red and ours, among the most exquisite.

Palmarium produces wine from three renowned viticultural regions—Heathcote, McLaren Vale and Barossa Valleys. This multi-region approach allows for a consistent style of wine production, with a superb palate of flavours, but without sacrificing its aging potential.

Heathcote :

The red Cambrian soils of Heathcote have an excellent capacity for water retention, which naturally fosters the production of high quality Shiraz. Over sixty vineyards call the Heathcote Valley home. Heathcote’s soil is composed of calcareous sodic clay, ironstone and dark brown gravels. The mineral rich soil, along with its moisture retention means that dry-grown Shiraz will mature gradually over the warm Victorian summer. With cooler nights, Shiraz in the Heathcote Valley retains a compelling acidity favoured by many wine connoisseurs.

Most Shiraz produced in the Heathcote Valley have a sweet spicy fruit flavor, with an empowering linger of cherry plum. Minute differences in sunlight, rainfall and micro-climates influence the budding Shiraz and results in a flavour unique to your palate. The Shiraz we harvest from the Heathcote Valley emerges as a full, deep purple wine with an exotic palate of spice, licorice, black cherry and blackberry. The fine tannins in the Shiraz creates a strong texture and confers an excellent capacity to age.

Aside from its unparalleled Shiraz, the Heathcote Valley is also celebrated for its Marsanne, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Viognier and Cabernet Sauvignon varieties.

McLaren Vale

Producing Shiraz wine since 1838, McLaren Vale has established a long heritage in South Australia’s viticultural industry. In fact, 55% of the area for wine production is dedicated to Shiraz. Similar to Heathcote, McLaren Vale has a Mediterranean climate with dry summer and autumn seasons but benefits from fresh sea breezesand chilly winds from the hillside. This moderates the temperatures as the Shiraz grapes grow. The end result is a deep and dense purple to crimson wine with the intense flavour of blackberry, black cherry, licorice and bitter chocolate quadrella. While some connoisseurs sample the thick texture, others can appreciate a velvet texture.

Aside from Shiraz, McLaren Vale is revered for its Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache. If you should visit, you may also encounter wine produced from the Mataro, Chardonnay and even some Meditarranean varieties such as Vermentino, Montepulciano, Barbera and, Fiano.

Barossa Valleys

From the lookout on Mengler Hillyou can appreciate why the Barossa Valley’s most spectacular export is produced from its vineyards. Since 1847, Shiraz vines have been one of the cornerstones of the local economy and is one of the main drivers of employment for residents in Barossa. Such is its success, that it is celebrated every second year in a week-long festival drawing visitors from across the world.

The Mediterranean climate and archaic soils of the Barossa Valley have produced some of the world’s pre-eminent Shiraz. Our Shiraz from the Barossa Valley is characterised by a smooth blend of smoky, spicy, peppery and meaty aromas. All in a full-bodied red wine.

While Shiraz is the quintessential vine cultivated from the Barossa Valley, other varieties such as Grenache, Mataro, Riesling and Semillon are also produced.
Palmarium will continue to make our Exemplar Shiraz in regions that are best suited to produceamazing wines. Palmarium will continue to have iconic wine makers crafting our Exemplar Shiraz without any commercial restraints. Palmarium will continue to produce some of the best  Australian Shiraz.