BlackJack Wines Shiraz Retrospective

With Paul Ippolito

My personal view is that red wine is made ultimately for ageing, improvement over time and enjoyment with good food in good company where that nurtured bottle can be cracked open and savoured at a time when all its elements - fruit, oak, acidity and tannins are in balance and harmony with each other.  

Most passionate wine buffs and winemakers alike would agree with me on the above point, whilst the bean counters and marketers would rather you drank the reds a lot sooner for more pragmatic (than passionate) motives. Despite my view, the reality of red wine consumption probably conforms to this latter view of most reds being designed to be drunk on release, sooner rather than later, in fact consumed very much sooner than later and that very few of us bother about cellaring wine at all and therefore have very limited opportunity to taste and savour older mature wines.

The reasons for this reality stem from financial necessity and cash flow issues for wineries, our hedonistic approach to consumerism, a general lack of access to properly kept aged wines, the difficulty associated with cellaring generally especially in warmer climates such as Australia and the relatively high cost of acquiring older wines.

Recently, I got to taste the new 2004 release of the BlackJack Shiraz in the company of some of its esteemed older vintage brothers stretching back to the inaugural 1994 vintage release of this wine. 

And really, the tasting was testimony, yet again, to the fact that we drink too many of our reds far too early and young and we don’t give them enough time and the full credit they deserve for their ageing ability, development capacity and their remarkable ability to withstand time, evolve stylistically and become a better wine that can be more suited to food.

The tasting also allowed me to make some interesting comparisons of the BlackJack Shiraz wine itself over various historical vintages as the Shiraz comes from estate grown vineyards so its nuances and style can be examined more closely.  

BlackJack Wines was established in Bendigo, Victoria in 1987 by Ian McKenzie and Ken Pollock. BlackJack was named after an American sailor who, during the gold rush of the 1850s jumped ship and found his way to the Castlemaine Victorian goldfields.

In 1988/89, McKenzie and Pollock set up the BlackJack vineyard with their first vines focusing on the traditional red varietal grapes of Shiraz, Cabernet and Merlot. In November 1994, the first wine was released, a Shiraz - a wine that is still resoundingly robust, sound, fresh and signifying the high benchmark standard that has been set out to be achieved from day one. BlackJack only make red wine from estate grown fruit, sensibly so and in line with the well-regarded reputation of the Bendigo and Central Victorian region for premium quality full bodied reds. 

Some 12 years later they continue to impress with their excellent reds and in particular their Shiraz - wines that have earned the winery significant acclaim. Here are my thoughts and tasting notes on the development of some of the BlackJack Shiraz since its inception vintage in 1994 up to this year’s 2004 new release:

1994 - Dark deep purple blackish - dark berry fruits emanating - well integrated oak - good alcohol - amazing purity of fruit delivered in a fresh vibrant fashion - quite elegant in style - currants and plums on the palate - well rounded - liquorice and blackberry on the finish - good fine tannins - lingering length - at least 5-7 years plus in it - an outstanding wine and in quite an amazingly sound and fresh state for 12 years of age. Try with pork sausages with fennel. 14.3% alcohol.

1997 - Deep dark crimson purple garnet red - coffee mocha aromas - a savoury style of wine- quite cedary oak - spicy fruit with lots of deep dark berry fruits with hints of liquorice - soft and mellow, quite seamless - good fine tannins - a touch of warm alcohol with a long finish. A good wine that is food friendly so try it with Wagyu beef - drinking well now and over 3-4 years. 13.2 % alcohol.   

2000 - Deep garnet red in colour - quite a tight restrained nose - spice filled plums and blackberry - soft with very fine grounded tannins - well integrated oak with a smooth well rounded finish - not overly ripe and indeed quite savoury. A very good wine drinking now and for up to 3-4 years - good with roast lamb.

2002 - Deep purple crimson. Blackish sweet ripe fruit - aromatic and succulent - seamless and luscious - blackberry and plum abounding from the glass - good firm tannins - warm alcohol - a long and lingering finish with hints of liquorice and chocolate - quite seamless oak - overall an outstanding wine that should cellar 10 - 12 years easily. Try it with a New York cut, well done with a mushroom sauce. 14.5% alcohol.  

2004 (New Release) - Deep purple crimson - candy shop sweet dark black liquorice, blueberry, hints of deep rich plum - young still - a touch raw - an elegant style - smooth and rich blackberry on the palate with liquorice and plums - lingering with well integrated oak - quite a good length with at least 5-7 years ahead of it. Try with Bangalow pork belly - priced around $35.

Go to BlackJackWines.com.au for more information.

Paul can be contacted by email at Paul_Ippolito@hotmail.com where you can also request to be placed on his mailing list for his wine newsletter.

About Paul Ippolito.