2003 Massena The 11th Hour Shiraz

Massena was founded by Dan Standish and Jaysen Collins. Friends since high school, the pair decided in the late 1990s to take a stab at making their own wines. Standish is a sixth generation grape grower and worked at Torbeck before starting his own Standish label in 1999. In 2000 he and Collins founded Massena and used grapes sourced from Northwestern Barossa. The pair still sources grapes, primarily Shiraz, Grenache and Mataro, though they have also started working with Barbera, Primitivo, Roussanne and Tannat. Like some other do-it-yourself winemakers in Europe, the U.S. and Australia, the pair has come up with humorous names for their wines, such as The Howling Dog, The Surly Muse, The Eleventh Hour and The Moonlight Run. Funny names or not, critics have been impressed with what’s in the bottles. James Halliday has awarded various Massena wines ratings as high as 96 pts.

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.

This grape is grown in milder climates and produces a medium-to full-bodied wine. It is also known as Shiraz, but should not be confused with Petit Sirah, which was developed by crossing Syrah with Peloursin.