Parawa wines: Tasting the premium league of Australia

The criticism behind an effort like the one of Parawa Estate is that a price like this is hard to be justified (the icon wines cost approximately 1050 AUD-Australian dollars), especially if one takes the limited track record of the company into account. Wines like Grange or Hilll of Grace cost less, despite the numerous vintages they carry on their back.

People tend to forget however, that price is not only about the past – it is a combination of the story and the hype a wine creates, and this may, sometimes, even overshadow its quality. Moreover, in the current wine world that we live, there is quite a strong tendency for more immediate recognition of emerging stars. A minimum of thirty vintages, or so, is not a pre-requisite, I reckon...

Parawa Estate has produced just four wines in sixteen years Peter Simic states proudly: '' This is a solid achievement for us releasing wines only in excellent or exceptional vintage years''. There are two ranges: the Premier Reserve range, which has seen 30 months in oak, costs approximately 260 AUD, and includes Compte de Fleurie 2010 and Garden of Josephine 2010; at the top level, the Classic Range with the two icon wines Ingalala 2007 and Eden 2008. All four are based either on Bordeaux varieties or on Syrah, grown in the Fleurie Peninsula, where Peter Simic argues that conditions are ideal for producing elegant 'old world' style of wines.