Tim Adams’ The Fergus is a legend. Now in its 17th release –it was first
produced in 1993- from the old vine Grenache vineyard next to Tim’s kitchen, owned
by his neighbour Fergus Mahon (now in his eighties, but still going strong).
That year was one of a shortage of grapes and when Tim persuaded Fergus to sell
him his grapes, he promised to name the wine after him. The Fergus is now one
of the great blends to come from Australia.
I rate the 2009 Fergus the best we have seen
since the 2006 vintage. It continues the outstanding Fergus lineage: Grenache and some Tempranillo were crushed over the skins of Mataro and
Shiraz , using a method known in Italy as “Ripasso”, but one that Tim learned
while working for Mick Knappsten at Leasingham in the 1970s. Last weekend I greatly enjoyed a bottle of the 2004 Fergus, still drinking beautifully a decade later!
The
wine 2009 Fergus is stunning: the varieties all combine to form a spicy, juicy
wine with
lifted red berry aromas and flavours, grenache spiciness and given extra back
palate firmness provided by the blending of the other varieties. It's medium weighted and superbly crafted to be a fantastic food
partner, especially duck, lamb and gamey meats. Fergus will cellar patiently
through to 2019.
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