More tasting and touring through Victoria today, including an exceptional look at the past, present and imminent future of Craiglee’s feted Shiraz. Winemaker Pat Carmody says that it’s his concerns over brettanomyces that have led him to increase the new component of his exclusively French oak cooperage to around 25%, a level that in my view perfectly complements the additional succulent richness and ripeness the last few drought-affected seasons have imbued in his wine. I enjoy the newfound texture and structure in these modern Craiglee wines, which are an embellishment upon the finer textures and palate structures of vintages of the early 1990s. Cooler seasons are of course likely see a finer and more restrained wines from Craiglee, a la 1995 and 1996, but I expect the vineyard’s broad trend towards more structured and evenly ripened wines to remain. So would Pat Carmody, who attributes much indeed to what he has learned about and implemented in the vineyard. Tasted just prior to bottling, the 2002 Craiglee Shiraz is almost opulent in its spicy, dark berry and exotically scented aromas of licorice and violets. Packed with intense, pure dark berry fruits, it’s still fine and seamless, wonderfully long and superbly balanced. There’s nothing out of place, instead a tightly balance and harmonious melange of concentrated fruit, restrained oak and powder-fine extract. The 2001 vintage is developing as expected into a finely balanced, but slightly richer, mintier and fleshier expression of the Craiglee house style. Beneath its opulent fruits and citrus peel-like spices lie a well-sprung chassis of fine tannins that will continue to provide shape and texture into the next decade. A recent favourite of mine from recent Craiglee vintages has been the smooth, seamless 2000 vintage, a wine equally expressive of sweet red berry fruits as it is of dark plums and cassis, mulberries and undergrowth-like complexity. More opulent and powerful than is historically typical for this vineyard, it might yet end up as the benchmark for its modern and future wines. It will live long into its second decade, perhaps even longer.
