Afternoon mes petits canards,

Simon’s Wine of the Week is Corryton Burge Shiraz

Despite the sunshine (as I write this of a Monday afternoon the office carpark is illuminated in the soft silver winter sunlight of an Ingmar Bergman film) it’s still pretty chilly out there, so we need a big punchy red. And they don’t get bigger and punchier than a South Australian Shiraz.

It’s no secret that Australian wine has suffered a big shock recently. Their largest market, China, recently hit them with such huge tariffs that they pretty much wiped out the exports in one go. Annual sales to China went from AU$1.2 billion to AU$8 million overnight. Ouch! Add to that the effects of climate change on warmer regions, and the growing demand for better quality wines as opposed to mass-market and commodity brands, and Australia is feeling the pinch.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, as there are plenty of wineries down under who are bucking the trend and producing fabulous wines with real quality and regionality. Which brings us neatly to this week’s winery, Corryton Burge. Now anyone who has followed Australian wine since the late 80’s may recognise part of the name, as it is indeed connected to Grant Burge wines, one of the behemoths of the wine scene. Grant Burge wines was started in 1988 by Grant and Helen Burge, who built it up into one of the most respected names in the industry, before selling it in 2015. Whilst they sold the brand they kept hold of their original winery and vineyards, and this became the seed for Corryton Burge.

Sixth-generation Trent and Amelia Burge have set out on their own, with their father Grant as mentor, and are getting back to the original vision of South Australian wines. Their portfolio is based in South Australia, with the likes of Adelaide Hills Chardonnay, Eden Valley Riesling and Barossa Shiraz as the core, but they also branch further afield with a Tasmanian Pinot Noir. I’ve not tasted all of them but what I have had the pleasure to try have all been simply stunning.

Their South Australia Shiraz is sourced from 100% Barossa vineyards, and shows real regional typicity. Fermented in stainless steel then aged in oak for 12 months, it is worthy of the cliché ‘iron fist in a velvet glove’. Inky purple in the glass, the aroma jumps out of the glass, with loads of lovely blackcurrant, blueberry and strawberry fruit and a vein of spicy vanilla in the background. The palate is big, but velvet smooth, with lots of toasty oak notes, vanilla, spice, more dark fruit, and a long, luxurious finish.

This wine is screaming out for food, and you could pair it with some very nice artisan sausages, some venison steaks, or some hearty char-grilled vegetables. Or you could just pour yourself a big glass and curl up by the fireside with a good book.

Have a great week all,

Simon