Masterclass: The Great Australian Blend presented by Charlie Melton

The Great Australian Blend Charlie Melton 21 st September, 2010 Landmark Australia Tutorial

Total Hectares of Plantings in Australia 65 New South Wales 110 Victoria 111 Western Australia 1718 South Australia

Fortified Wines in Australia 99% 1% 2008 97% 3% 1998 92% 8% 1988 79% 21% 1978 56% 44% 1968 33% 67% 1958 Unfortified Fortified Year

Grenache and Mataro Winemaking tonnes < 1% 9 955 1% 25 347 1 818 431 2005 1% 8 238 3% 23 842 856 074 1998 2% 7 728 6% 29 427 460 148 1988 3% 14 342 11% 46 990 430 069 1978 N/A N/A N/A 32 000 N/A 1969 N/A N/A 17% 21 200 127 050 1956 Mataro % Mataro Grenache % Grenache Total tonnes Year

What is the inspiration behind blending these wines?
May have come from the Bordeaux practice of strengthening the lighter Bordeaux years with a dash of Hermitage? Vice Versa.
The “Australian Blend”.
Some records show this blend was first around in the early 1800’s, but it was mainly a post WWII phenomenon that saw this blend rife across the landscape of the Australian wine industry.
1962 Bin 60A, a classic example.
Considered the greatest Australian Red ever to be made. To this day it is still the benchmark wine, for this style, that winemakers aspire to.
Cabernet Shiraz, Shiraz Cabernet

Only a few early practitioners perhaps?
Bin 2 from the early 1960’s might be at the forefront of our minds but it was A.P.Burkes from Wendouree that has been blending the two varieties since 1895.
Shiraz Mataro

Masterclass: The Great Australian Blend presented by Charlie Melton

by Lucy Anderson on Sep 21, 2010

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Masterclass: The Great Australian Blend presented by Charlie Melton — Presentation Transcript