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On the Vine

This is a sample article from a previous edition of our Wine Club newsletter "On the Vine".

INTERVIEW with BRIAN MCGUIGAN

Tuesday March 26th 2002, by Peter Cullen
View Brian McGuigan's special recommendations

PC: Things have been well up there?

BM: Excellent yes, all the vintages are finished so that's great. We've had a pretty good season, it could have been better if we hadn't have had a couple of rainy periods but generally it's been pretty good.

PC: I believe that once again the skill & talent of the Hunter winemakers came through even with the bushfires and all the rain, it's still come up as a very good vintage.

BM: In two senses it's been good. In terms of quality of fruit we are above average and in terms of volume of the fruit we are well above average. In particular Chardonnay and Semillon came through very strongly also Verdelho. The rain created no mould but made it bit tougher for the Shiraz to ripen as we would have liked so we had a bit of fruit volume loss because the grapes tended to go a bit squashy at the end. But the Cabernet were okay and so too were the Merlot. We've been very fortunate to have got through so well.

PC: On a personal note you must be very pleased, going from strength to strength with the results you've had and it must have been particularly rewarding to knock off the big boys with your result with the Black Label.

BM: Yes we're very chuffed about that. We've been going with Black Label Red now for nine years and we were able to surpass many of our long established competitors who've been in the business for 25-30 years selling some of the products such as Jacob's, Queen Adelaide, Long Flat-all those products are now behind us. So it's been very gratifying to see the support we've received from retailers and consumers alike and it's put us into a tremendous position on the scale of things.

PC: You must be delighted with the new sparkling wines, in particular the red.

BM: Yes, that's been very popular. It's only a recent innovation-we've only had in on the market now for 4 or 5 months. It's gained very ready acceptance. I think the reason is quite simple-the fruit characteristic in the sparkling Shiraz is the same as the fruit in the Black Label itself and offcourse because people are very happy with the Black Label they've gone onto the sparkling as well and have found it so similar yet it has the bubble and it's a very popular style now in the Australian market. We're chuffed with it and we think it's going to grow and we'll probably sell a lot more of it during the winter time than in the summer.

PC: Along with the sparkling reds what else have you seen as the main shift in the market with regard to any particular varietals?

BM: That's an interesting question. The important one for consumers, producers and retailers alike is that the market is a vibrant one, in a constant state of flux, moving from one varietal style to another and also from white to red as has happened over the last few years. There has been a considerable move from white wine to red wine particularly on the part of the younger generation coming on. In my time the white wine was always the way you went in wine consumption but today it seems so many people are moving into the reds. When they are in red wines they've moving into one red wine variety to another. The emergence of merlot has been one extraordinary change, the change from Shiraz to a lesser degree, Cabernet to Merlot and also to new and innovative varieties such as Peti Verdot is emerging and is very popular since we launched that. San Gervanci is one of the red varieties that is emerging. And in white wines offcourse we've seen similar changes-we've seen the emergence of Verdelho, we've seen Chardonnay still selling in huge quantities but we've seen people trying other varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc is a variety which has been around a long time but is emerging more now that we're looking for more floral varieties. It's a vibrant industry and ever changing and we as producers and you as retailers must understand that we've got to be ready for people as they move from one variety to another.

PC: One question I get a lot here is across your range but in particular with some of your volume wines, your Black Label range, people ask what would be the main difference between that range of wines as opposed to your Bin Range.

BM: Quite simply there is more fruit intensity in the Bin Range than in the Black Label range. It means that the cropping rate perhaps on that goes into Bin is less than the cropping rate per acre that goes into the Black Label and we 've done that intentionally to offer people varietals at an attractive price. Also the Bins are regionally identified and with the Black Label's we're only starting to do that now so there's a bit more sophistication and a lot more wood used to mature the wines and with those features it means that the Bin wines are offcourse more expensive than the Black Labels. So sophistication, fruit intensity and the extra wood all add up to giving people a very good value product but more expensive than the Black Labels.

PC: With that range you must be thrilled with the results you've had not only within their own price categories but some of the results they've had against quite a few wines on the market at almost double the price.

BM: Yes well to break in against some of the well accepted and well loved products and labels that have been known on the Australian market for some time is always an effort and what you have to do is create a point of difference so that the taste of the wine is different, hopefully a bit better, but certainly more interesting than the wine they're currently drinking. You've got to create a label that is profoundly different and easily recognisable, very legible so that the overall package gives the consumer is a point of difference they're prepared to pay for and change from the favourite wine he's been drinking.

PC: Now we're starting to move into the top end, again there 's been apart from your well established labels, there's a been a really exciting number of products and varieties there. Can you give us a quick run down on those?

BM: We've introduced a range in the mid teen price which is something that's superior. We've got a red and a white. One is Verdelho and the other one is a different emerging red variety, Petit Verdot-we call it Verdot Superior to be in harmony with the Verdelho Superior. These two wines have a lot of flavour, a lot of intensity and are interesting because whilst Verdelho's been around for a while we're treating the juice a little differently than we have in the past. So both these wines are very rewarding and of high quality and of great interest. We've got them packaged very differently.

The medals that these wines have won are quite extraordinary and that's a sign of their quality and their individuality.

McGuigans Black Label Range

Lifted chocolate/cherry aromas with spicy cinnamon overtones. A fruit driven medium full bodied style with fine integrated tannins and good acid balance. Chocolate/cassis flavours persist on the palate assist in giving wine good length. Cellaring for 3 years will reward taste.

McGuigans Genius Range

Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc

Wynns Cabernet Shiraz Merlot 1998

This is a finely structured and supple wine showing ripe plum and spicy fruit flavours combined with soft, understated oak. Stylish palate showing distinctive flavours from all three grape varieties. Rich but soft tannins frame dark berry, black peppercorn and tobacco characters. Excellent structure with fruit sweetness and a long silky finish.

Capercaillie 1999 Semillon

Capercaillie Ghillie

'A great Hunter Shiraz'

Jacob's Creek Reserve Range

Thalgara Chardonnay

Wynns Coonawarra Estate Michael Shiraz 1998 or John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon 1998

Strong, ripe Shiraz dominates the bouquet while the palate features sweet and spicy Shiraz flavours and velvety tannins. Beautifully balanced, this wine requires further careful cellaring to show its best.

Rosemount Split Label Range

Rosemount Diamond Range

Capercaillie Sparkling C

A blend of Shiraz, Merlot and Chambourcin have ensured a balanced complexity of fruit, oak and yeasty bottle fermentation characters.

Tyrrell's Moon Mountain Chardonnay and Tyrrell's Brokenback Shiraz.

Righ McLaren Vale Shiraz 2000

This outstanding wine from the 2000 vintage is a blend of portions of Shiraz from McLaren Vale (80%) & Langhorne Creek (20%). Deep crimson in colour, the nose exhibits the typical, ripe berry fruit varietal characters of these areas, while the well integrated oak adds depth and complexity. The palate has an excellent fruit weight and firm, yet finely grained tannins, providing a style that can be both enjoyed now, or cellared for 3-5 years.

Lindemans Bin Range


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