Can a wine taste historic, or old fashioned? Not old or dated, but from another era. Probably not, but that was my first impression when tasting the 2017 Craiglee Shiraz from Sunbury.
It smells, tastes and feels savoury with seams of natural acidity, firm fruit and tannins. The tannins are ever present, their squeeze of texture and flavour are immediately apparent, you can smell the skin and most defiantly feel the succulence. Firm and authoritative, Craiglee’s shiraz is gourmand, a true partner at the table. The fruit is ripe, but not sweet.
Elegant, soft, ethereal and lacy wines are the fashion these days, with an emphasis on freshness. The Craiglee style is so grown up, mouthwatering, mineral and refreshing. Medium bodied and discreet, a wine for lunch or Sunday roast. There are many similarities to Claret. The leafy, tobacco tannins, acidity the sense of effortless power, coolness of fruit and long palate.
Tasted over three days, I was surprised by how much the fruit held. Delightfully, the tannins started to unravel, but not completely, morphing into succulence, but never losing their firm authority. I have not had an aged Craiglee before, but I am certain, that as an old wine, the tannin grip will be unshakable, long after the fruit has faded.
The aromas are discreet, not closed, just subtle. Spicy, savoury, cherry, plum, clove, blackberry, violets and ferrous notes. Medium bodied, the emphasis on savoury, absolutely nothing luscious or sweet. Cherry, cherry stone, plum, fresh tobacco, redcurrant, black olive and clove. Structurally, it’s like pulling the reins on a horse; firm, but with enough looseness for integration and ease of drinking. And that’s just it. This is a wine for drinking, not tasting, for food and not the TV. Old fashioned? No. Absolutely classic.
