2002 Rusden Driftsand

Rusden was founded in 1979 by Christine and Dennis Canute who bought 40 acres in the Barossa Valley. Christine grew grapes to sell to wineries but by the late 1990s the family was producing its own wine. Their son Christian Canute is winemaker. Today the estate makes Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Grenache, Chenin Blanc and several blends. Robert M. Parker Jr. gives the estate’s wine high ratings and notes that Christian Canute “has a unique ability to produce wines of great finesse combined with the intensity and power obtained from Barossa Valley fruit.”

South Australia is the nation’s most important wine region. South Australia is to Australia what California is to the U.S. About half of Australia’s wine comes from South Australia and many of the country’s most acclaimed producers are there. Wineries based in South Australia include Penfolds Grange, Torbreck, Amon Ra, Henschke and Jacob’s Creek. The prestigious Barossa Valley is located in South Australia, and is often compared to Napa Valley because it is gorgeous topography covered in grape vines. First farmed by 19th century German-speakers who immigrated from what is now Poland, the Barossa Valley is the crown jewel of the region. South Australia has widely varying climates, from very hot, dry areas to cooler, high altitude areas. There are more than 150,000 acres of vineyards in South Australia, with more being planted each month. Shiraz is king, though the region also produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Mourvedre, Chardonnay and Semillon.