All Saints Premium Shiraz 1986 Wholesale Price (Vic, NSW, Tas, SA): $58.50 Recommended Retail Price (Vic, NSW, Tas, SA): $8.95 Recommended Retail Price (Qld, WA): $10.60 One of the most delightful north-east Victorian reds I have stumbled into for a long time is this new release from the historic All Saints property at Wahgunyah. It is both a hark back to the past for the seasoned drinker of Australian red wine, and a more modern red with dimensions of style and elegance. And from the restaurateur’s point of view, it is quite ready to drink – however unlikely that may sound from a three year-old red of north-eastern breeding. The All Saints Winery is one of the most historic of Victoria’s wineries and in 1989 will celebrate its 125th anniversary. Winemaker George Sutherland Smith is a direct descendant of the founders of the company. Shiraz is one of the famous wines of north-east Victoria and the Rutherglen area. Full and generous in flavour with a touch of varietal spice, it sits in the ‘traditional’ category of Australian reds. Neglected by many in the years of the white wine boom and the histamine scare, shiraz is again becoming accepted as a definitive local wine. Its weight of flavour and softness of structure, especially after a few years of maturation lend it to many of the more traditional Australian cuts of meat and the stronger cheeses we enjoy. In short, it is part of our cultural and culinary heritage. The softness and generosity of the All Saints 1986 Shiraz suits it to restaurants. Richly-flavoured but silky-smooth fruit is given only a light small oak treatment, leaving it open and unaffected by the almost excessive depth of oak extract one is accustomed to in many more modern styles of red wine. The twenty or so months the wine has spent in larger casks has contributed to its approachability and smooth structure. Here is a rapidly-maturing red able to be presented now. Food suggestions: Traditional cuts of red meat, stronger cheeses, game dishes.
