Very smooth and round on the palate with black fruit (especially cherry), chocolate, and vanilla oak flavors. Soft chewy tannins and a very long finish. Can age for 10 or more years. Accompanies beef dishes, lamb with herbs, pasta Bolognese, and even kangaroo.
Beef, Kangaroo, Lamb, Pasta
Woodside Valley Estate is one of the very best wine producers in the Margaret River region of Western Australia. When we visited them two years ago, they were just beginning to make a name for themselves having just won the 2003 Most Outstanding New Vineyard award from the Wine Industry Association of Western Australia (WIAWA). Since then, owner, Peter Woods, and winemaker, Kevin McKay, have produced exceptional wines that have received much acclaim, including another award for Most Outstanding New Brand from the WIAWA in 2004. The winery has received 5 stars, the highest award, and is lauded as one of Australia's very finest in the 2007 edition of James Halliday's Australian Wine Companion.
The Baudin Collection is Woods’ homage to the great explorer, Nicolas Thomas Baudin, who was responsible for the first accurate renderings of the Western Australian coast in the beginning of the 19th century. The charts, which accurately marked the limits of the Western Australian coast, thereby paving the way for Pacific trade, are but one of the many contributions that Baudin and his crew made in the study of Australia. In part a science expedition, Baudin’s naturalists greatly increased the understanding of native plant, animal and sea life in the area, bringing new discoveries and techniques back to France. Baudin also proved, contrary to common belief, that one could sail west along the south coast of the continent. By naming his wines after the crew of the expedition, Woods recognizes their passion, purpose and contribution to the region.
The Margaret River region is the westernmost part of Western Australia. Surrounded on three sides by water, it receives the strongest maritime influence in the area, benefiting from the cool breezes off the Indian Ocean. temperature is most commonly likened to that of Pomerol and St. Emilion in Bordeaux, while rainfall levels are more similar to those of the Mediterranean. soils consist of a gravel and sandy loam made mostly from the underlying granite and gneissic rock. region is best known for its Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, but also produces a number of other fine varieties, including Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Verdelho.
Overview Australia is one of the most technologically advanced wine regions on earth and has experienced a wine boom in the past decade due to the approachability and quality of its wines. Shiraz is synonymous with Australia—a powerful red with huge fruit, spice and tannins, with as much character as the Aussies themselves. Australian winemakers also blend together different varieties, striving to produce very fruit-forward and well-balanced wines. This country crafts great whites as well; the Verdelho grapes produce a full-bodied wine with tangy acidity and honeysuckle undertones.
Unlike in Europe where the wine producer is often a family with limited acreage, Australia has had, over the last 50 years, a huge consolidation in the wine industry, which has led to 6 or 7 companies of gigantic size controlling 75% of Australian wine.
Of course, there is still a spirit of independence among the Australian growers. While the large producers dominate southeastern Australia (Sidney, Melbourne, or Adelaide), there are still a number of high-quality small growers. In addition, there are more and more new wineries on the western coast, and most of them are family businesses.
Climate Situated between the 30th and 40th parallels, Australia is a vast country with a variety of regions boasting vastly different climates: in the north, hot, wet tropics lie across the tropic of Capricorn; across the center an arid desert; and in the south a temperate coast that resembles a Mediterranean climate. It is this coastline that runs the length (east-west) of the continent that is ideal for winemaking.
Australia offers 60 distinct wine regions (Geographical Indications or GI’s) most of which are scattered across the western, southern, and eastern coasts of Australia. For a wine to bear the name of its GI, it must obtain at least 85% of its fruit from the region. Some of most famous wine regions are: Margaret River in Western Australia; Barossa Valley and Clare Valley in South Australia; Yarra Valley in Victoria; Hunter Valley in New South Wales; and Granite Belt in Queensland.
While the southern coast resembles the Mediterranean climate, there are several factors that influence in the region setting it apart from other vine growing regions. In Australia, most of the semi-temperate regions (where wines can grow) abut big deserts to their north (central Australia), which heavily influence the winemaking. These regions (excluding Western Australia), therefore, must contend with hot winds blowing in off the deserts, which have forced the producers to adapt their winemaking techniques to prevent wines from becoming so high in alcohol that they lose other important characteristics.
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