Marchard & Burch Villages Shiraz 2021
- 93
- $35
- Drink by: 2023-2031
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Two old friends, Pascal Marchard from France and Jeff Burch from Western Australian, founder of Howard Park, combined to produce and release some very fine wines from the West, under this label. Their ‘Villages’ range is to “focus on the regional influence of climate and site on varietal expression”. This release is from Great Southern fruit. The colour is a purple/garnet. The expressive nose weaves through mulberries, plums, spices, licorice and cherries. Everything is finely balanced and there is even a whiff of peppermint plus fine tannins, which are quite abundant over a long finish. There is lots to like here and balance is key. It has a good six to eight years ahead of it. Good value.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
