The Auswine Forum

Yesterday I came across something unusual from Australia. It is a non-vintage sparkling red under a crown seal. It's called 'The Jumping Grape' and supposedly made by a wine company of the same name. I think it is a wine made for the US importer listed on the back label. I think it had been on the shelf for some time because the paper tape over the crown was quite frayed.

It is a 80/20 blend of Shiraz and Cabernet from Padthaway but the most interesting about it is that the base wine was "aged in French oak for up to 5 years". I still remember tasting a sparkling red at Seppelt's cellar door that had been aged in for two years prior to fermentation and am hoping, against all odds, that this made to spec wine might exhibit some of those qualities.

I am going to presume that this label would not be on Australian shelves unless some of the wines were not taken by the US importer. I wrote to the US importer, USA West Wine, asking who the producer might be.

Does anybody here have any idea which producer might be the one who could make a sparkling wine with Padthaway Shiraz and Cabernet that had been aging in oak for a considerable period since I expect most wineries bottle their wines within two years.
Cheers ........................... Mahmoud.

It occurred to me that the back label note was written by a "JL" and that might be a clue to the winery or wine maker.

I don't know about Jumping Grape, but I've only ever seen one other NV sparkling red with a crown seal. Meadowbank, Grampians Estate, Seppelt, Teusner & Majella put their better vintage sparkling reds under crown. The one I'm thinking of was a Seppelt thing called Silverband (I think) that was a blend of two or three consecutive years under crown. Sadly, no longer available, and I've sadly drunk my last bottle.

After a bit of looking, Jumping Grape was one of many trademarks of Pacific Vision (CEO John Larchet). "The Australian Premium Wine Collection" was another and "Hill of Content" (taken to court by Henschke, Halliday and Philip Murphy) was another. While the wines may or may not have been any good, they certainly tried to base their marketing strategy on the shoulders of giants (where they had no right to).

I would be happy if indeed this was a Seppelt wine. Hopefully a bit of their magic got into the bottle. I'm particularly interested in the classic Aussie blend and the fact that it was aged for an extended period before fermentation.

Jonathan, I think you hit the nail on the head by identifying Pacific Vision's CEO John Larchet, who is in all likelihood the "JL" on the back label. I have also seen a Hill of Content here in Edmonton, as well a a "Fire Block" Old Vine Grenache, of which I tried an oldish bottle and it wasn't too bad. You have come up with far more information than I ever expected.

Thanks ....................... Mahmoud.

PS: Now lets hope that store conditions haven't affected it too badly.

Australian Premium Wine Collection used to include (maybe they still do) brands like Clonakilla...it isn't that they owned them but they distributed them or marketed them or something..at least that's what it was in the US.

Wouldn't surprise me if it was a relabeled wine...Just pop one open and try it...and if it is really good buy more..

Hi Polymer,

There were three bottles, brought in from somewhere since they weren't there 10 months ago. I bought two, just in case it turned out good.

You may well be right about the distribution of Clonakilla's distribution in the US but here in Alberta the distribution was by Harvest Vintage Imports, at least they used to a few years ago. The same company used to distribute Fox Creek and the principal worked hard to make the Reserve Shiraz and the JSM almost cult-like and really built up the brand. However, a large distributor in British Columbia, who also had operations in Alberta, refused to take on Fox Creek in BC unless they got Alberta rights as well. So they dumped him as the Alberta distributor.

Mahmoud.

Cloth Ears wrote:I don't know about Jumping Grape, but I've only ever seen one other NV sparkling red with a crown seal. Meadowbank, Grampians Estate, Seppelt, Teusner & Majella put their better vintage sparkling reds under crown.

There's quite a few sparkling reds (and whites) around under crown seal, and this is a move I applaud. This includes the Seppelt Show Reserve Sparkling Shiraz, while the lower priced Seppelts Original (now a NV) remains under cork.

Waiters Friend wrote:

Cloth Ears wrote:I don't know about Jumping Grape, but I've only ever seen one other NV sparkling red with a crown seal. Meadowbank, Grampians Estate, Seppelt, Teusner & Majella put their better vintage sparkling reds under crown.

There's quite a few sparkling reds (and whites) around under crown seal, and this is a move I applaud. This includes the Seppelt Show Reserve Sparkling Shiraz, while the lower priced Seppelts Original (now a NV) remains under cork.

Yeah, a bit annoyed about the NV thing with the old Original. I liked the variation. And even though they lose quite a bit of bubble after a few years, I've had some more than 10 years old that were really good.
And ditto on the crown seal. Gives good wines a chance to shine...

Anyone have a good source for Seppelt Show Reserve of any vintage? This thread reminded me I need to replenish...

kenzo wrote:Anyone have a good source for Seppelt Show Reserve of any vintage? This thread reminded me I need to replenish...

Just about everyone is out, except Cellardoor.co - they have 2007 and 2008 for retail.

Thanks. Alas, I shall need to keep looking...

I see them come up at auction quite frequently. I see a 2007 is up for auction right now.

Mahmoud Ali wrote:Yesterday I came across something unusual from Australia. It is a non-vintage sparkling red under a crown seal. It's called 'The Jumping Grape' and supposedly made by a wine company of the same name. I think it is a wine made for the US importer listed on the back label. I think it had been on the shelf for some time because the paper tape over the crown was quite frayed.
...
Does anybody here have any idea which producer might be the one who could make a sparkling wine with Padthaway Shiraz and Cabernet that had been aging in oak for a considerable period since I expect most wineries bottle their wines within two years.

Mahmoud, I see this wine listed in CellarTracker and there's a mention of a tasting note in Vinous by Josh Raynolds - Sep/Oct 2009, IWC Issue #146. I don't have a subscription to Vinous, but if you do or know someone that does, you might find some more information there.

I couldn't find anything from Josh Reynolds but I did better by opening a bottle. It was lovely, perhaps it didn't have as much fizz as it might have had when fresh (I wouldn't know) but a lovely froth formed on the surface as I poured. The colour was brick-like as one might expect from the aged base material. The fruit was subtle, fresh and sweet on attack, and turning dry and savoury on the finish. Just lovely. There would be more love for sparkling Shiraz, at least overseas, if they were more like this.

Should have bought the third bottle .......