by Vic Harradine

Eight intrepid Victoria, Australia wine principals, shepherded by a representative of the Victorian government, trekked from Vancouver to Ottawa and winecurrent was there to taste the wines, learn about the region and to now share with you. The state of Victoria has a population of some six million with the capital city of Melbourne accounting for 4 million. Two of the wines tasted and reviewed below—from Blackjack—are available now in the LCBO.

When 1890 rolled around, Victoria was the number one state in Australian wine production, producing over half of the total of the entire country. The dreaded phylloxera beetle appeared in Geelong, near Melbourne, around 1890 and by the early 1900s had sucked the lifeblood from Victoria’s vineyards and wine production.

In a phoenix-like resurgence, there are now 6 wine zones and 21 distinct regions ranging from the familiar Yarra Valley and Rutherglen to those that should be, given the quality of their wines—Heathcote, Mornington Peninsula, Bendigo, Strathbogie Ranges, Pyrenees and Beechworth among them.

Victoria now produces 25% of Australia’s wine from mostly small artisan wineries; it’s no wine lake. They lack marketing presence because of the size of the wineries, but their wines speak loud and clear to those willing to take time to taste and listen.

There are close to 900 wineries in Victoria, predominantly small to medium sized, family owned and focused on quality rather than quantity. Styles range from red, white and rosé table wines to serious sparkling and world-class dessert wine.

Sparkling wines have a rich and lengthy history in Victoria with The House of Seppelt fashioning a wine that took wine-lovers by storm in the late 1800s—sparkling Shiraz! Phylloxera not only curtailed production, it almost devoured the memory of this achievement. It was nearly100 years later that Seppelt—in the Great Western wine area, the heart of the Grampians—once again produced Sparkling Shiraz and it has re-taken wine-lovers imagination and fancy by storm. Victoria also produces sparkling white and we tasted a 2002 vintage Blue Pyrenees Estate that was a dazzling example—tasting notes of this and all the wines mentioned follow.

The Rutherglen is world famous for its fortified dessert wine; it’s the home of Chambers Rosewood Winery and Buller Wines. No one-trick pony, we also tasted a Chardonnay / Marsanne blend from the same region along with a silky-smooth fortified Muscat, both from Pfeiffer Wines, and both were fabulous.

And then came the reds. Everything from expressive, clean crisp Pinot Noir from Mount Gisborne Wines in the Macedon Ranges to elegant restrained Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz from the wine regions of Bendigo, Strathbogie Ranges and Heathcote. One is left with the clear and indelible impression that these Victoria wines from well-known and lesser-known regions stand tall beside the household-name premium wine areas in Australia like Hunter Valley, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Margaret River.

The wineries didn’t send people all this way just to experience our autumn, they’re seeking LCBO listings. I’ve included tasting notes as a heads up to winecurrent subscribers as you will, hopefully, see more of these wineries on LCBO shelves in the not-too-distant future.

Tasting notes (both Blackjack wines are LCBO-available in limited quantity):


Blackjack ‘Block 6’ Shiraz 2004
Bendigo, Victoria $33.95 (77842) 14.0% alcohol
Their flagship red, this opens with lifted aromas of eucalyptus, dark berry fruit and earthy tones. It’s mid weight and nicely textured, dealing out a persistent stream of ripe luscious lip-smacking fruit flavour with mulberry, black plum and spiced cherry to the fore. The American and French oak has been seamlessly integrated and the finish is lengthy and balanced. You hold the winning pair when poured with rack of lamb. (Vic Harradine)


Blackjack Shiraz 2004 

Bendigo, Victoria $28.95 (095612) 14.0% alcohol 

From relatively cool-climate Victoria, this delivers Aussie Shiraz with complexity and touches of elegance. Rich, complex and succulent flavour reigns supreme with brambly berry, exotic spice, ripe juicy black cherry and peppery notes mingling effortlessly with seamlessly integrated oak and fine-grained tannin. It finishes perfectly balanced, lengthy and luxurious with notes of spice cake and dark bittersweet chocolate. (Vic Harradine)


Blue Pyrenees ‘Midnight Cuvée’ 2002
Pyrenees, Western Victoria $29.00 at the cellar door 12.5% alcohol
One of the top drops of the evening, this Vintage ‘Méthode Traditionelle’ sparkling wine—the second fermentation took place in the bottle—exhibits a fine bead in the glass and a flavourful mousse on the palate. Aromas of baking brioche and floral notes segue racy flavours of white grapefruit and lemon zest. Fashioned from the classic Champagne grape varieties—Chardonnay and a touch of Pinot Noir—it’s crisp and refreshing throughout and finishes with mouth-watering crispness. A perfect welcoming wine, it has the oomph to pair with seafood appetizers. (Vic Harradine)

Downing Estate Shiraz 2004
Heathcote, Victoria $36.00 at the cellar door
Black pepper and spice box on the nose, this rips from the glass with oodles of mouth feel and flavour. Look for zesty pie cherry, ripe black currant, spiced Damson plum and bittersweet chocolate throughout. It’s medium to full bodied, satin smooth and finishes with a lovely underpinning of supple tannin. This is paired perfectly with smoked and grilled back ribs slathered in spicy barbeque sauce. (Vic Harradine)

Kooyong Chardonnay 2007
Mornington Peninsula,Victoria $36.00 at the cellar door 13.0% alcohol
Estate-grown fruit from 12-year old vines was whole-bunch pressed and fermented with wild yeasts before ageing 12 months in French oak. Toast, vanilla and nutty nuances on the nose give way to a huge burst of racy lip-smacking flavour. It’s medium bodied, generously textured and provides flavours in the grapefruit, pineapple and lemon rind zones. This surges to excellence served alongside pan-seared fish under a generous squeeze of fresh lemon. (Vic Harradine)


Mount Gisborne Pinot Noir 2005
Macedon Ranges, Victoria $32.00 at the cellar door 14.6% alcohol
This is very expressive on the nose with forward aromas of black currant, black licorice and tar. Elegant and delectable, the flavour is well structured and deftly balanced with dark briary berry, spiced black Damson plum and ripe succulent Bing cherry predominant. Medium bodied and creamy textured, the lingering finish layers on adornments of cigar box and exotic spice. (Vic Harradine)

Pfeiffer ‘Carlyle’ Chardonnay / Marsanne 2009
Rutherglen, Victoria $16.50 at the cellar door 13.4% alcohol
This unique blend—80% Chardonnay, the balance Marsanne—is aromatic, light on its feet and flavourful. Honeysuckle and pit fruit aromas waft from the glass while the palate’s treated to a persistent wash of restrained and balanced flavour—white peach, spiced yellow plum and lemon chiffon pie filling. It’s light bodied yet generously textured—resting on its lees for an extended time and lees stirring—finishing crisp and refreshing. The purity of is evident and charming; not a splinter of oak here. (Vic Harradine)

Pfeiffer ‘Rutherglen’ Muscat Non-vintage
Rutherglen, Victoria $19.90 at the cellar door - 500 mL 18.0% alcohol
(winecurrent reviewed a Pfeiffer in April, 2006) Aromas and flavours of toffee, caramel, figs and spice cake explode from the glass to the palate from this satin-smooth nectar of the Gods. It’s fortified, heavily textured and concentrated, yet wonderfully balanced and far from cloying. One of the world’s fine dessert wines, it can stand alone as dessert or be accompanied by dark fruit cake or chocolate desserts—best chilled and served in moderation. (Vic Harradine)

Plunkett Fowles ‘The Rule Reserve’ Shiraz 2006
Strathbogie Ranges, Victoria $39.95 at the cellar door 14.5% alcohol
(winecurrent reviewed their ’02 ‘Blackwood Shiraz’ in 2005) Meticulous work in the vineyard and winery coalesce in this elegantly structured deftly balanced gem. Alluring aromas of spicy black berry fruit, dark toast and espresso roast announce palate-coating flavours of ripe mulberry, racy cranberry and nuances of mocha. It’s mid weight, generously textured and dishes out a lingering finish that integrates the ripe polished tannin. This nudges five stars and is worth every penny. (Vic Harradine)


Sandhurst Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Bendigo, Victoria approx. $30.00 at the cellar door 13.5% alcohol
Smoky, fennel and tarry aromas drift off the glass of this rich and expressive Napa-like Cab. Waves of gorgeously textured and well-balanced fruit flavours wash over the palate in a steady stream—ripe mulberry and dark berry fruit mingling with tangy pomegranate. Mid weight and nicely textured, it’s restrained to the point where each sip is better than the last. Contact their Ontario agent Merchant Vintner to purchase Sandhurst Ridge wines. (Vic Harradine)