2004 The Brothers Shiraz - impression by PJ - November 2008

Winepunters is about Tassie wine and you should know by now I am a huge fan of the way Tasmania produces it's whites and light reds.  Sometimes however I pine for a big, fat, hairy red (what, a man from Scotland? - Ed) and unfortunately Tassie doesn't have the climate to produce this type of wine.

So from time to time we will talk about wines from the mainland (or as we like to call it, that "island to the north") that tickle our fancy.  Now, I don't claim to have sampled wine from every wine growing region on the mainland but having been to Rutherglen on a couple of occasions I am starting to believe that it is the home of the big red.  It may not be as famous as the Barossa or McClaren Vale in South Australia but Northern Victoria's Rutherglen region has some fantastic red wine.  

Before we go on, if you are from the mainland and one day you find yourself in a totally confusing conversation with a Tasmanian about Rutherglen don't be alarmed - they think you are talking about a resort just south of Launceston, which is why they will sound surprised when you talk about wine making in Rutherglen.

Anyway I digress.  Rutherglen is where I was introduced to Durif which, in my humble opinion, is the variety serious red drinkers should try.  Beware though, young durif can be evil.  I christened a durif I tried at Rutherglen Estate the "Dentist" because I swear it was trying to remove my back teeth as I drank it.  While young, a durif can have sledge hammer like tanins but try an older one and you are in big red heaven.

Anyway I digress - again.  While in Rutherglen I went to the Campbell Brothers Winery and, after trying a number of surprisingly nice white wines, tasted their "The Brothers Shiraz".  Interestingly they told me that they pick their grapes at midnight and use a massive refigeration system when producing their white wines which seems a lot of work and expense to go to in an area that already produces incredible red wines.  I mean why not be happy to produce excellent reds?  Why not leave all the aggravation to others ? (er ... is this another digression? - Ed)

Now lets see, where were we? Right,  The Brothers Shiraz (2004).  

What does the winemaker say?

Normally for this section I have a look at the back label of the bottle to see what the winemaker (or at least the marketing department) has to say about the wine.  In this case the label starts by pointing out that this wine is a celebration of the winemaking efforts of the Cambell brothers (Malcolm and Colin) and goes on to say that this wine "is the pinnacle of their efforts".  Of more interest for this impression is the reference to the "seamless layers of flavour and complexity".

What do we say?

Everything I like about a good shiraz was here in this wine.  

Great bouquet, intense fruit, the pepper and a clean dry finish - all present and accounted for sir!

Drinking this made me remember why I love wine so much and why it's worth the expense and occasional disappointment.

To sum up lets answer the Punter questions:

Should you buy this wine?

At $50 a bottle this wine isn't cheap.  Mind you, paying for quality has never worried me and you definately get what you pay for in this wine.   Look, go buy this wine, in fact book your flight, go to Rutherglen and buy this wine. What's that - it would be cheaper to order it over the Internet?  Well alright then if you want to be a penny pinching punter.

What will it taste like in a real situation?

This wine is for drinking (slowly) on it's own.  I am sure it's also a fabulous food wine but this is life in a bottle and shouldn't have to compete with food. You can eat anytime but you don't get this sort of wine all the time.  

Will the object of your desire be impressed?

If the desired one is as sophisticated as they are attractive they will enjoy this wine and then worship you as a god. While they are in the state of euphoria that this wine will induce it would be the perfect time to get their permission to buy that new car/boat/surf ski you have been wanting.  

What do you think? Send us a comment