CTRL ALT DRNK. The Top 20 Alternative Reds
Alternative reds grabbed the spotlight in 2017 when a certain Victorian wine show (ok, maybe Melbourne) bestowed its highest honour on a grenache. Not bad for a grape that often gets relegated to the popular but critically patronised rose. Bring on the clowns!
But grenache’s elevation wasn’t a one-off. Alternative reds were the highest-awarded red wine category of all last year, even beating the sainted pinot noir brackets.
The rise and rise of alt-reds reflects Australian wine drinkers’ growing sophistication. No longer content with their dad’s black label Coonawarra cabernet, younger drinkers are seeking out exotic grapes. Their search is leading them to some of Europe’s oldest varieties such as tempranillo, nebbiolo and sangiovese as well as companion grapes like malbec.
Flirting with the minor strains might be a leap in the dark but it’s hardly heroic. Favourite choices tend to mirror the inky colours and soft tannins of Australian staples such as shiraz.
More than 1300 alternative red blend labels were presented to Australasian wine shows in 2017 with judges working their way through 2882 individual tastings. Their collective scores represent the most comprehensive coverage anywhere of Australian and NZ alternative reds.
These ratings have now been collated for the first time in Vinloco’s 2018 Australasian Wine Form annual. This year’s 900-page book includes:
- The broadest, deepest and most up-to-date coverage of Australasian wines anywhere
- Classification of nearly 14,000 wines from sparkling to fortified
- Compilation of more than 41,000 scores from 60 shows
- Top wine lists for 23 major classes
- Commentary on each major class about winemaking trends and judging considerations
- Statistical summaries including medal tallies, strike rates and best regions.
Vinloco’s Australasian Wine Form is destined to become an annual must-have for wine professionals and consumers alike. To buy your copy, click here or on the book cover below.
In the meantime, the Top 20 alternative reds of 2017 were:
| 1 | McGuigan Barossa Valley Shortlist Montepulciano 2016 |
| 2 | Brown Brothers 18 Eighty Nine Tempranillo 2016 |
| 3 | De Bortoli Family Selection Durif 2015 |
| 4 | Shingleback Kitchen Garden Mataro 2016 |
| 5 | Millbrook Geographe Regional Tempranillo 2016 |
| 6 | Nepenthe Altitude Tempranillo 2016 |
| 7 | Reynella Basket Pressed Grenache 2016 |
| 8 | Nugan Frasca’s Lane Alfredo Sangiovese 2015 |
| 9 | McWilliam’s Hanwood 1913 Durif 2015 |
| 10 | Moppity Lock & Key Reserve Tempranillo 2016 |
| 11 | Brown Brothers Vintage Release Malbec 2015 |
| 12 | Bleasdale Generations Malbec 2016 |
| 13 | Bleasdale Second Innings Malbec 2016 |
| 14 | Cockfighters Ghost Single Vineyard Sangiovese 2016 |
| 15 | Shingleback El Capitan Tempranillo 2016 |
| 16 | SC Pannell Barbera 2016 |
| 17 | Willow Bridge Solana Tempranillo 2015 |
| 18 | Brown Brothers Vintage Release Durif 2015 |
| 19 | Hardys Tintara Reserve Grenache 2016 |
| 20 | Calabria Private Bin Montepulciano 2016 |
