SHAW THING OUT OF ORANGE

ICONIC Philip Shaw has released an interesting new blend of merlot, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon under his own name, bringing to a half-dozen the range of wines he’s now produced from the Koomooloo Vineyard he established at Orange in the NSW Central West in 1988.

The Philip Shaw No 17 from the 2005 vintage reflects what he believes the Orange region is unique for in offering wine lovers: fleshy, friendly-style wines with flavours not found in other parts of Australia, possessing long complex flavours and soft tannins with length of flavour.

He’s also proud of what he calls “the purity of that flavour” in his 2005 No 17 Merlot Cabernet Franc Cabernet Sauvignon, which like his other wines shows the care that goes both into vines and fruit: as well as hand-picking, he uses a hand-sorting table before crushing to remove leaves and other impurities that could otherwise impact on fruit flavours.

The merlot in this blend has given the wine silkiness of mouth feel, the cabernet sauvignon depth and intensity, and the cabernet franc helped bring it all together into a nicely complex wine.

Pay $26.99 to go with meaty pasta dishes or strong-flavoured hard cheeses.