Spotlight on Australia: Old Vines & Age-worthy Wines
Over the last two months, our spotlight on Australia featured key regions and varieties with resources from Wine Australia, who have generously agreed to share their content with the Berlin
Wine School Community. To conclude the Australia overview, let’s take a look at how Australia's old vines and age-worthy wines have contributed to the country's global reputation.
📖Old vines key facts:
The age at which a vine is considered "old" varies by country and region and is often not legally defined.
Generally, it is considered that after the first 20 years, the vines’ yields start to decrease.
Vine age can be an indicator of potential quality, but not a guarantee.
If in good condition, old vines can produce wines of great finesse, depth, and balance.
Old vines often grow in excellent sites.
Depending on location, old vines may grow deeper, develop complex root systems and access more complex soils and micronutrients. This enhances their resistance to growing and weather conditions (drought, heavy rains..).
Old vines have less vigour and grow fewer leaves and shoots, and the ratio of foliage to fruit is better balanced.
Source: Wine Australia
🌱Australia's old vines:
Most of Australia's vines and regions where not affected by phylloxera (vines arrived in Australia before phylloxera struck European vineyards).
Some of Australia’s vines are more than 150 years old.
The good condition of Australian old vines is attributed to the special sites on which they grow and a good care by generations of winemakers (vineyard were not abandoned).
Old vines in Australia are found in many regions and include many varieties (see below).
Most of the old vines belong to long-established, continuously operating brands and wineries.
Barossa has the largest number of old vines in Australia.
The importance of old vines in Barossa led to a foundation of the Barossa Old Vine Charter in 2009 and definition of specific categories: old vines (35+ years), survivor vines (70+ years), centenarian vines (100+ years), ancestor vines (125+ years).
Barossa old vines varieties include: Shiraz, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling (Eden Valley), Chardonnay, Semillon.
Source: Wine Australia
📖 Age-worthy wines key facts:
All wines change in the bottle with time, but not all for the better - not all wines are meant to age.
Age-worthy wines not only endure but improve over time.
To be age-worthy, wine must meet several criteria, be balanced, and have a very high quality overall.
Premium wines have a higher potential to age due to a greater level of concentration, complexity, and structural components.
Structural components supporting aging include acidity (prevents chemical changes in wine including oxidation), tannins (help preserve freshness), and sweetness (acts as a preservative).
Structural components that decrease the ability to age are alcohol (non-fortified wines above 15% ABV may not age well because alcohol is volatile).
Other factors such as handling, storage conditions, and temperature also influence aging.
Wine doesn’t age in a linear way but experiences times of rapid change, quiet periods and plateaus.
It can be divided into 4 stages: youth, evolution, maturity, decline (see below).
Source: Wine Australia
⌛Australia's age-worthy wines:
Many Australia’s premium wines are age-worthy, fulfilling the above requirements.
Some varieties and regions are particularly known for its aging process or potential.
Semillon from Hunter Valley became an globally recognized due to the change that happens to these wines over time.
These unoaked Semillons are light-bodied, zesty and crisp with high acidity and low alcohol when young. As they age, they take on honeyed, toasty notes, yet retain the primary fruit and acidity even after decades of aging.
Riesling in general can age decades thanks to high acidity and bright fruit characters. The best age-worthy Australian Rieslings come from cool climate regions - Clare Valley, Eden Valley, and Tasmania.
Shiraz thrives in both warm and cool climates in Australia and in premium examples can age for up to 50 years due to its high tannins and flavour concentration. Finest age-worthy wines come from Barossa Valley, Hunter Valley and McLaren Vale.
Cabernet Sauvignon both as single-varietal and blends can age for decades, with the best examples come from Coonawarra, Margaret River, and Yarra Valley.
Source: Wine Australia
🔎Did you know?
Langmeil Winery in Barossa has an ‘old-vine garden’, which was planted in the 1840s.
For white wines, which have low phenolic content because they are not fermented on skins, acidity and pH are critical.
The bottle size affects wine ageing. In smaller bottles the proportion of air relative to wine volume is higher than in larger bottles. That means the wine in smaller bottles has more contact with oxygen, increasing the rate of ageing.
Wine sealed under screw cap instead of cork is thought to mature more slowly due to its reduce exposure to air.
Australia is one of the few countries where Semillon is produced, and highly prized as a single-variety wine with long ageing potential.
Riesling was one of the original varieties planted in Australia and the country is one of the world’s top Riesling producers.
🎓Want to learn more?
Old vines on the Wine Australia website.
The Barossa Old Vine Charter and classification of old wines in Barossa.
Australia’s Semillon and its aging.
💬Share your thoughts!
Do you know any other countries with pre-phylloxera vines? Do old vines produce “better” wines than young ones? Have you ever tried some old vine wines from Australia? Have you ever tasted aged Semillon from Hunter Valley? How would you describe it? Share your thoughts!
*All resources, maps, images, and data courtesy of Wine Australia.