Ch\u00e2teauneuf-du-Pape reds are one of those wines that are described as \u201cintoxicating\u201d as much for their delightful perfumed plummy nose as their high alcohol content. If these famous red blends from the southern Rhone region don\u2019t make you a disciple to French wine, then I suspect that nothing will. They were undoubtedly the magic potion that turned my intrigue about French wine firstly into a fascination and later, an addiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the Appellation there are five communes, of which Ch\u00e2teauneuf-du-Pape is the largest. There, the winemakers of the district are permitted to use 13 different\u00a0varietals in crafting their artisan blends, but most of the reds are dominated by Grenache, supported by bold showings of Shiraz and Mataro (mourv\u00e8dre). Finding a bottle of the Southern Rhone\u2019s iconic style shouldn\u2019t be difficult given that there are about 320 wineries in the region producing about 14 million bottles a year. Prices can, of course, be rather unappealing given that you can pay upwards of $500 a bottle for the pleasure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fortunately for Australian wine consumers, our domestic producers make their own versions of the Ch\u00e2teauneuf-du-Pape blends at a fraction of the cost. Given that grenache is the centrepiece of the amalgam of varietals, it\u2019s generally the warmer and\u00a0more Mediterranean climates like those of the McLaren Vale and the Barossa that do the heavy lifting. I\u2019ve previously sung the praises of the Mosaic of Dreams <\/em>made by Samuel\u2019s Gorge but recently I came across another worthy contender, the Saint Petri<\/a><\/em> Grenache Shiraz Mataro made by Calabria. You\u2019ll find it at around $80-90 a bottle, and the 2017 edition is currently on the shelves. It\u2019s expensive \u2013 but quality normally is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Calabria are a producer who only began growing fruit in the Barossa region a relatively short time ago having purchased and rejuvenated old vines since 2010. Some of these\u00a0vines are over 100 years old so it\u2019s unsurprising that the fruit is of premium quality. Chief Winemaker, Emma Norbiato, has sourced fruit from three separate Barossa vineyards to create the Saint Petri \u2013 grenache from 50-year-old vines from Rowland Flat as well as the Shiraz\u00a0and Mataro from plots in Nuriootpa, the latter of which were planted in around 1914. Handpicking ensures that only the best fruit makes its way into the winery where, after fermentation and blending, the juice eventually rests in a mix of French (80%) and American (20%) oak barrels\u00a0for 12 months prior to bottling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once in the glass the Saint Petri sparkles in it\u2019s rubyesque glory. Swirl, whiff and sniff and the bouquet roars to life with aromas of strawberry, maraschino cherry and a savoury edge. Once you take that first fateful sip, the grenache tends to dominate\u00a0up front adding layers of red fruits and delightful texture while the Mataro\u00a0provides what the Francophiles would call \u201cgarrigue\u201d \u2013 the savoury scrubbiness that reminds you of sage, rosemary and even the lavender that is so prevalent in the rocky outcrops of the\u00a0Southern Rhone. Through the finish, the shiraz offers its handiwork in delivering a mouth-filling jubiness alongside abundant silky tannins that urge another sip even before you\u2019ve had a chance to put the glass down. The 14.5% alcohol will put a glow in your cheeks but I challenge you to resist the temptation of a hasty refill!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 2017 edition of the Calabria Saint Petri was awarded \u201cBest in Show\u201d at the 2018 Decanter World Wine Awards so my admiration is hardly surprising \u2013 a delightfully well-structured and balanced wine that will prove a cost-effective alternative to a trip to Avignon!<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Ch\u00e2teauneuf-du-Pape reds are one of those wines that are described as \u201cintoxicating\u201d as much for their delightful perfumed plummy nose as their high alcohol content. If these famous red blends from the southern Rhone region don\u2019t make you a disciple to French wine, then I suspect that nothing will. They were undoubtedly the magic potion that turned…
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