Good Juice

Australia has been a consistent producer of high quality wines that don’t break the bank, but over deliver in taste. A few prime examples are two Shiraz’s that we’ve poured by the glass: R Wines “Strong Arms” and R Wines “Ebenezer”. The Strong Arms scored a 91 with Wine Advocate and quickly became a favorite among our regulars. This fruit-driven Shiraz has an opaque purple color and an easygoing finish. A few weeks after pouring the “Strong Arms”, I introduced the “Ebenezer” by the glass. This is the first wine that winemaker Chris Ringland has put name on the bottle since the “Chris Ringland Shiraz” that began in 1989, and retails for $350/bottle. The “Ebenezer” scored a significant 93 with Wine Advocate and is a big, full-bodied Shiraz that can age for up to 15 years. Simply put, our regulars were flabbergasted by a wine this big that they were able to enjoy by the glass.

With this in mind, I encourage you to experience Marquis Philips from Australia. Marquis Philips is a collaboration between Australian winemakers Sarah and Sparky Marquis and U.S. importer Dan Philips, along with co-owner, renowned winemaker, Chris Ringland. The mythological creature on the front label, the Roogle, represents the lasting friendship and the shared destiny that link the two countries.

The 2007 Marquis Philips Cabernet Sauvignon produced smaller than normal berries, resulting in distinct varietal expressions in the wine. The 2007 Cabernet was matured in both French and American oak, for a period of 12 months. The wine was blended, returned to barrel and held for a period prior to bottling. Rich and jammy with black currant and cedary, cigar box complexity. Classic cabernet on the nose, plum, rosemary and thyme with hints of peppermint and dusty oak.

The 2007 Cab hasn’t been scored yet, but in previous years it scored a 92 in 2001 and a 90 in 2002, 2004 and 2006 with Wine Advocate. In 2003 it scored a 90 with Wine Spectator
The 2007 Marquis Philips Sarah’s Blend is a blend of 60% Shiraz, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc from McLaren Vale vineyards. The key Shiraz component came from the Blakely vineyard in the Sellicks sub-region. The Bruno vineyard in the Willunga-MacLaren Vale sub-region provided classic Cabernet varietal flavors and expression as well as fine tannins, which balance well with the plushness of the shiraz and plumminess of the merlot. The merlot came primarily from the Hoey vineyard in the Willunga Range sub-region. It provided the rich, chocolate and plum notes to the blend.
The 2007 Sarah’s Blend hasn’t been scored yet, but in previous years it scored a 93 in 2002 and a 91 in 2004, 2005 and 2006 with Wine Advocate.

The 2007 Marquis Philips Shiraz has a rich, dense blackberry jam aroma with spicy vanilla, cedar and fruitcake notes. Beautifully textured, it explodes in the mouth with sweet berry, rich mocha, vanilla spice, hints of pepper and a big, soft, tannic finish.

The 2007 Marquis Philips Shiraz hasn’t been scored yet, but in previous years it scored a 93 in 2001 and 2002, a 90 in 2004, a 91 in 2005 and a 92 in 2006 with Wine Advocate. In 2003 is scored a 90 with Wine Spectator.

Now we’ll step it up a notch and talk about the 2006 Marquis Philips Shiraz 9 (or S9). It has been barrel-fermented in new French and American oak barriques and hogsheads where it has been aging for 14 months (with another 2 months to go prior to bottling). It delivers an alluring bouquet of pain grille, smoke, mocha, espresso and blue fruits. This is followed by a full-bodied, personality-filled Shiraz with blueberry, blackberry liqueur, licorice and a hint of chocolate emerging on the palate. Opulent, sweet and lengthy, it will evolve for several years but can be enjoyed now and over the next 12-15 years. This wine is hedonistic and it all adds up to a 92-95 score with Wine Advocate (barrel tasting).
In previous years, the S9 scored a 96 in 2001 and 2002, a 93 in 2003, a 92 in 2004 and a 98 in 2005. In 2003 it scored a 92 with Wine Spectator.

So what do all of these fancy scores and tasting notes add up to? A fantastic representation of what Australia has to offer. Australia is taking their winemaking seriously and producing some good juice. If you would like to experience these wines for yourself, you can join the wine club at The Cellar Door for a Marquis Philips tasting on September 18th, from 6-8pm.
Cheers and happy sipping.