Why aren't there more mataro/shiraz blends?

[JDSJDS]

The question of why there aren't more Mataro/Shiraz blend in Australia came to me after I had the Spinifex Indigene 2004 (64%/36% blend respectively). I really enjoyed this wine, with ther mourvedre giving the shiraz some structure, and adding some complexity to the wine (game, leather, earthy notes). It was in a nice place now, but could still wait a few years.

The cabernet/shiraz blends are fairly common, perhaps especially at the top end, and the grenache shiraz blends seem to be more common, but mainly at the quaffing end. Are there many other mataro/shiraz blends available? If not, I wonder why not?

Here's the notes I wrote up the next day:

Didn't take notes, but this was outstanding last night. Lovely nose, with perfumed plum and meat aromas. Full bodied, well structured wine, with deep rasberry, earth, leather, and plum notes. Nice blend of power and elegance, really drinking well now, but will last as well (A-).

[griff]

Is it more mataro than shiraz? Interesting!

Not many around. Bull's Blood is a favourite though.

cheers

Carl

[Mandingo]

One of the best out there that I have tried is the Marius Symposium - I have had the 05 and the 06 over the past few weeks and they are both very good wines. The 06 especially is one of my personal favourites. The Symposium is a 50/50 blend.

[Davo]

Probably quite a few more than you think, just that the mataro/mourvedre percentage is less 15% and hence not mentioned on the label.

[Peter Schlesinger]

One of the best out there that I have tried is the Marius Symposium - I have had the 05 and the 06 over the past few weeks and they are both very good wines. The 06 especially is one of my personal favourites. The Symposium is a 50/50 blend.

Couldn't agree more. It takes its own sweet time to open up but when it does its a sensory joyride. I've locked in the Symposium and the straight shiraz Symphony as 'must haves' for as long as Roger cares to make them.

[n4sir]

I think part of it has to be the amount of quality old vine Mataro/Mourvedre/Monastrell out there. It's become popular of late, although there was a bit ripped out with the vine pull scheme about 30 years ago (along with a lot of other rubbish that deserved to be pulled out - there's always the romantic idea of the loss of a lot of old great vines, but it also has to be remembered there was a lot that deserved to be bulldozed too).

If their snatching of Ken Schlieb's old block is any guide Teusner seems to be really increasing their stock of this variety for their blends (or possibly their Austral series flagship). A lot of others (for better or otherwise) seem to be focusing on stand alone varietals; I think part of it comes back to the old local, macho mentality - great varieties stand out, the rest that doesn't gets blended. For some reason, many here still don't seem to see a blend as being something greater than the sum of its parts...

Cheers,
Ian

[daz]

I think part of it has to be the amount of quality old vine Mataro/Mourvedre/Monastrell out there. It's become popular of late, although there was a bit ripped out with the vine pull scheme about 30 years ago (along with a lot of other rubbish that deserved to be pulled out - there's always the romantic idea of the loss of a lot of old great vines, but it also has to be remembered there was a lot that deserved to be bulldozed too).

If their snatching of Ken Schlieb's old block is any guide Teusner seems to be really increasing their stock of this variety for their blends (or possibly their Austral series flagship). A lot of others (for better or otherwise) seem to be focusing on stand alone varietals; I think part of it comes back to the old local, macho mentality - great varieties stand out, the rest that doesn't gets blended. For some reason, many here still don't seem to see a blend as being something greater than the sum of its parts...

Cheers,
Ian

Is the Astral Series Mataro from Schlieb vines? I've a bottle of it stashed but I don't recall ever having tried a varietal mataro or a shiraz blend. It'll be interesting to try the Teusner "Dog Stangler" Mataro 08 after a lengthy decant.

Cheers

daz

[DaveB]

I think part of it has to be the amount of quality old vine Mataro/Mourvedre/Monastrell out there. It's become popular of late, although there was a bit ripped out with the vine pull scheme about 30 years ago (along with a lot of other rubbish that deserved to be pulled out - there's always the romantic idea of the loss of a lot of old great vines, but it also has to be remembered there was a lot that deserved to be bulldozed too).

If their snatching of Ken Schlieb's old block is any guide Teusner seems to be really increasing their stock of this variety for their blends (or possibly their Austral series flagship). A lot of others (for better or otherwise) seem to be focusing on stand alone varietals; I think part of it comes back to the old local, macho mentality - great varieties stand out, the rest that doesn't gets blended. For some reason, many here still don't seem to see a blend as being something greater than the sum of its parts...

Cheers,
Ian

Is the Astral Series Mataro from Schlieb vines? I've a bottle of it stashed but I don't recall ever having tried a varietal mataro or a shiraz blend. It'll be interesting to try the Teusner "Dog Stangler" Mataro 08 after a lengthy decant.

Cheers

daz

G'day Daz,

The Roennfeldt vineyard near Moppa is the source for the Mataro for the Astral series wine. It's a fruit salad block i.e. It's actually a grenache vineyard but about every third vine is mataro (I guess quality control for cuttings wasn't so crash hot back in those days).

Each mataro vine has a ribbon around it although they stand out anyway....grenache is very floppy....mataro very upright and has different coloured leaves ..... the family, who have farmed the vineyard for generations pick the crop so there is no chance of it getting mixed up.

At present we are sourcing mataro from Stonewell, Marananga, Vine Vale (the Schlieb block is in Vine Vale), Dorrien, Stockwell, Moppa and the artist formally known as Ebenezer.

The Dog Stangler is just about to be released and we have another shiraz/mataro blend release in the pipeline for a month or two down the track.

Cheers

Dave

[daz]

Thanks Dave, I'm now reminded of the story of Kym's first visit to the vineyard and his intitial impression it was all grenache. I thought to try the Dog Strangler today but opted for a Salsa 08 instead with 29C and the day-long rain boosting the humidity to probably 90+% but after some procrastination, I'm just about to decant the former. Will post a TN here later.

Hope everyone at Teusner has had a great Australia Day.

Cheers

daz

[daz]

Must be a bit slow today, took a while to realise what the reference to, "the artist formally known as Ebenezer" was about.

[GraemeG]

The cabernet/shiraz blends are fairly common, perhaps especially at the top end, and the grenache shiraz blends seem to be more common, but mainly at the quaffing end. Are there many other mataro/shiraz blends available? If not, I wonder why not?

There's Wendouree, although 'available' might be stretching it..
cheers,
Graeme

[707]

I've got no idea why as I reckon it's a great blend. Having scoured the country looking for entrants in a Blacktongues Shiraz Mataro tasting last year, I can tell you (and I stand to be corrected) only 12 wineries make such a blend in Australia.

The ones I regularly consume (at varying price points) are Spinifex, Marius and Glaymond, all bloody delicious. Reckon I might crank up the A/C and have one tonight!

[griff]

I've got no idea why as I reckon it's a great blend. Having scoured the country looking for entrants in a Blacktongues Shiraz Mataro tasting last year, I can tell you (and I stand to be corrected) only 12 wineries make such a blend in Australia.

The ones I regularly consume (at varying price points) are Spinifex, Marius and Glaymond, all bloody delicious. Reckon I might crank up the A/C and have one tonight!

Forgot the Glaymond. That is a luscious drop that

cheers

Carl