2005 Lillian, Shiraz / Mataro, John Brocksopp, Pemberton, Western Australia (£13.51, Domaine Direct tel. 020 7837 1142 & www.domainedirect.co.uk). John Brocksopp is a pioneering wine guru. Expert viticulturalist and visionary he spent twenty-five years at Leeuwin Estate, in Margaret River, securing this winery’s reputation for exceptional wines for years to come. These days he operates out of Pemberton, south-east of the Margaret River region, in the wild and wonderful Western Australian countryside. The cool breezy nights and balmy days are perfect for growing tiptop grapes here and although Pemberton might not be a famous wine region yet, there are some superbly crafted wines emerging from this region. With careful understanding of his surroundings John fashions subtle, sensual wines with a Rhône bent and this beautiful Shiraz / Mataro (or Mourvèdre in Old World speak) is the definitive wintry red. With juicy, but not forced, blackberry fruit and wonderfully aromatic spice and seasoning, this wine is not your typical Aussie red. There is none of the hot alcohol or fresh-sawn wood that many of the celebrated Shirazes show as a badge of honour, but which we, in truth, find hard to swallow. Instead there is harmony, length, wistfulness and charm. This is a very small price to pay for a truly mesmerising wine – take my advice and buy as much as you can and also peruse the many other beauties that DD has to offer.
