2011 Shiraz Yarra Valley

My jaw has just dropped. Before writing a note on this wine which I tasted for the first time last night and am about to retaste, I thought I'd look up the price in Australia where it has already been launched. The equivalent of more than £50 a bottle!!!! And apparently the retail price of the limited UK allocation of this 650-case wine targeted mainly at Asia will be £65. I'm sorry but this is surely hubris of the highest order. This is the debut vintage – in the most difficult year for decades – of a wine project advanced by Paul Henry, hugely creative wine publicist (ex Wine Australia), and Bill Downie, talented new wave winemaker based in Victoria. I have enjoyed many of his wines (though I still can't remember his defence of his particularly heavy bottles, corks and thick seals, I'm afraid).  But this wine, an attention-grabbing blend of Shiraz with a bit of Pinot Noir and a tiny bit of Sauvignon Blanc, is far too controversial to command that sort of price on initial release. Although Nick was very far from convinced, I gave it the benefit of the doubt last night. It seemed like the archetypal wine to match the aspirations of those sick of super-extractive, alcoholic Australian Shiraz. It has the same sort of build as a Côte Rôtie – relatively low in alcohol, sweetness and tannin. But is pretty sour – almost pastiche whole bunch stemmy – and, by today, has a bitter, hamster cage finish that reminds me of some of the less appetising natural wines. There's not nearly enough fruit in the middle.  My leg feels distinctly pulled. But I have a second bottle to try and will see if that is more convincing. (JR)