Right up there with Kath & Kim, Crocodile Dundee, meat pies, AFL and Ash Barty, the blend of shiraz and cabernet is true-blue Australiana. While grapevines are an introduced plant species to Australia, the blending of these two varieties is an Aussie concoction that is rarely, if ever, replicated anywhere around the world. 

The blend marries varieties from either side of France: Rhône Valley shiraz and cabernet from Bordeaux – an unlikely geographical coupling. But, like with many things Australian, there’s an inventiveness and devil-may-care attitude towards the rules. Full-flavoured, rich, spicy shiraz and sleek, herbal cabernet are unlikely bedfellows, but when combined Down Under, they result in iconic wines that speak fluently of our warmer wine regions and powerful-yet-elegant wines. 

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Barossa Valley stalwart winery Yalumba has long been a proponent of the style. Kevin Glastonbury is the winemaker here and once told me, “they seem to be kindred varieties in places like the Barossa. You get this sweet-fruited heart from shiraz, but this lift and herbaceousness from cabernet. The combination is harmonious when at its best, resulting in lithe, layered reds that drink with power in youth, but mellow into savoury, complex mature wines.” 

For me, when I take a sniff of a shiraz cabernet, I’m inevitably led to the Australian bush, with scents of paperbark tree, turned earth, eucalyptus and the ‘purple’ smell of Davidson’s plum. The palate tends to echo the bouquet and, depending on oak barrel influence, offers firm, dusty tannin, supple texture of fruit and a piquant edge from herbs and spice. The blend usually finds itself produced in warming fuller-bodied mode. 

Some of Australia’s most recognisable red wines have emerged from this collaboration of varieties, with Yalumba’s The Signature, Rockford winery’s Rod & Spur, Penfolds Bin 389, and, of course, the ultra-premium Penfolds Grange (a small proportion of cabernet here) all highly prized proponents of the style. Impressive in youth, these are all wines that mature gracefully with time. 

While the current vogue may be leaning towards medium-weight, silky textured, spicy reds and, significantly, to Mediterranean varieties that seem to be increasingly important for farming in the face of impending climate change, the shiraz cabernet combo is a vital part of Australian wine’s DNA. There’s still a legion of drinkers seeking inky, potent red wines, and ones that speak with an old-school good-school feel. Shiraz cabernet blends continue to find a greater sum of their parts. Bonza! 

Try:

Yalumba The Signature 2019 ($65)
First released in 1962, this is one of Australia’s most important wines. The 2019 release shows off a pitch-perfect fuller-bodied expression. Elegant, dark-fruited, laced with fine tannin. Drink from now to 30-or-so years.

Lake Breeze Bernoota 2020 ($22)
Dark-fruited, chocolatey, spiked with woody spices and grippy with powdery tannins, this is an awesome expression of shiraz and cabernet that delivers a hefty but well-balanced red. Slurpy stuff. 

Wynns V&A Lane Cabernet Shiraz 2021 ($60)
An incredibly refined and satiny-textured red that sits more at medium weight than full, with blueberry, saltbush, clove and peppery elements galore. A beautiful wine to drink in youth, this will cellar exceptionally, too.

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