As far as Western Australia goes, Margaret River is the queen of wine producing regions, however this means we sometimes neglect some of the other regions in this beautiful state. West Cape Howe comes to us from the Great Southern region, and is not to be missed. From their website:
“West Cape Howe Winesis located approximately 3.5km east of Denmark, a small coastal town located within Western Australia’s Great Southern region. Situated 450 kilometres south of Perth, the coastline of Denmark and along to nearby Albany (50kms east) rates among the most beautiful in the South-west.
Denmark is commonly dubbed the town “where the forest meets the sea”.
Towering eucalyptus including karri, marri and jarrah trees along with pristine,
blue coastal bays, makes Denmark the perfect playground for bushwalking,
fishing, surfing, swimming, snorkelling and boating. “
Here is a map of the area (courtesy of Google Maps) to give you some idea where the region sits in relation to the rest of the state.
We recently opened an old bottle of the 2004 Shiraz vintage – a bottle we had lying around – and used it as part of a marinade for Atlantic salmon. After cracking the screw top bottle, we decided to leave it to air, and then we sampled some more of it.
Despite the age the wine still sat pretty well. This is good wine especially considering the reasonable price range.
It was also a bonus to find it very drinkable despite only six years in the bottle – we’d imagine it lasting well into the next decade, which is surprising for a more budget friendly wine. A true testament to the enduring quality of wines from Western Australia’s Great Southern region.
It might be worth putting a few of these down, if you are of a mind to keep some good Shiraz for a few years, and enjoy in the future as we have done.
Tasting Notes: A smoky bouquet of lingering tannins gave way to a smooth but strong taste with a medium aftertaste which was agreeable on the palate. Needs some time to breathe (if vintage) did not require explicit decanting. Recommended out of a proper Shiraz glass to harness the surprising bouquet...
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