Christie Kiley on June 2, 2014 0 Comments I don’t know what it is about warm weather that gets me in the mood for an Australian red. There is nothing better than feeling the soft warm touch of the season’s first sun on your shoulders, even if there is still a slight coolness in the air, I just wrap a light scarf around my collar and sit back, good book in one hand, wine glass in the other. Its namesake comes from the nineteenth century mail coach service that could be found running through their property back in the day. During the early days of farming and the vineyard industry, the only way to get mail to proprietors was via horse-drawn coaches. The proprietor of the particular mail service of the vineyards we know as Henry’s Drive was Henry John Hill, and the rest as they say is, history. The vignerons of Henry’s Drive was started up by Kim Longbottom and her late husband. Kim keeps the memories and history alive to honor her passing husband, Mark as they make some of the finest crafted wines out of the Australian region of Padthaway. Kim is originally from the famous wine region of New Zealand, Marlborough and her husband was a pastoralist, being the third generation of pastoralists in his family. His natural connection to the land and her roots made the perfect pairing for their winery project in 1992, when they selected the land they would be planting their vines in. Despite Mark’s passage, Kim along with her daughter and the winemaking team with Renae Hirsch make wine with a passion and connection to the land. Renae has brought her talent and experience from all over the globe: France, Germany, the United States and Australia. Henry’s Drive line of wines offer a wide array of flavor, aroma and terroir profiles due to their various plantations. The terroirs all range from red loamy soils to limestone to hillsides all of varying elevations and others with fruit surrounded by Eucalyptus trees. So what I bring you this week, is a fabulous Shiraz from a small part of their 250 acre farm. This fruit hails from their limestone vineyards. When the fruit comes in after harvest with a balanced maturity, the juice is fermented in contact with the skins for about ten days. Only small parcels of the wine is fermented to dryness, while other lots are left to finish fermentation in barrel. Following a malolactic fermentation and additional aging for fifteen months, the resulting wine is delicious. Before you uncork this bottle, be sure to get yourself a chair to sit in out on the patio. Dust off that book you’ve been meaning to read too. Pour it in your favorite red wine glass and delight in its deep, inky color. Its fragrance reaches up to your nose as you pour with its spice and deep red roses. The depths of blackberry and other mature berry fruits are mouthwatering. The first sip is like blackberry pie, sweet rhubarb, fig jam with lingering notes of opal basil leaves and violet. The Henry’s Drive 2012 Syrah is of course a great wine to enjoy alone, but don’t forget to pair it with your favorite grilling fare this season. In case you could never quite find a wine to go with your grandmother’s recipe of slow-cooked honey barbeque sauce to go along with the even slower-cooked/roasted ribs or brisket, the Henry’s Drive will be perfect and sure to be a crowd-pleaser. More Wine Reviews: Saviah Cellars 2011 GSM, Elephant Mountain Vineyard Fattoria Poggerino Chianti Classico 2010 Las Perdices 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Cakebread Cellars Red Hills 2010 Zinfandel
