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早前與酒友品嚐兩支分別來自澳洲和隆河的Syrah/Shiraz，名字有點不同，但兩個產區同樣以釀造這種以單寧強勁、帶有胡椒香、口感豐厚的葡萄酒而聞名於世，當中隆河區的釀酒歷史更可追溯至幾百年前。這兩支酒分別是1990 Peter Lehmann, “Stonewell” Shiraz, Barossa和1990 Jaboulet Crozes-Hermitage "Domaine de Thalabert"。1990皆為這兩個產區的特優年份，Jaboulet的陳年潛質毋庸置疑，我們倒想了解一下陳釀十年的澳洲Shiraz到底有何風味，能否與同年份的隆河Syrah爭一日長短。結果兩支酒風格異迴，筆記如下：

1990 Peter Lehmann, “Stonewell” Shiraz, Barossa HK$500
在網上拍賣得來，賣家竟是曾同桌吃飯的酒友Peter（上周在台灣的長榮安和店又碰到他，真巧）。當日與Roger，Rex，Eric等朋友在萬利試完Pingus後在東海吃飯是喝的，沒有換瓶。呈深紅色，邊沿開始帶成熟的褐色，很濃很開放的藍莓和木香，一聞就知是澳洲酒，餘韻有一點酸度和木苦，果味不斷流失。此酒簡單直接，相信再陳年也不會有進展。

1990 Jaboulet Crozes-Hermitage "Domaine de Thalabert"　HK$550
呈櫻桃紅，邊沿開始轉為淡褐色。果香四溢而且擴張得很典雅，有層次。帶有黑莓、胡椒、一點香料和皮革的香氣。口感富盈，果味留在口腔內久久不散，單寧非常柔滑，餘韻則留有木桶的「甘甜」，不是苦味。約四十五分鐘後，皮革香更濃而且有巧克力的香氣，果味好像沒有半點流失，成熟好喝！

1990 Stonewell確是比新年份的澳洲Shiraz內歛，亦沒有新酒的肥膩，但與Crozes-Hermitage一拼，就會顯得粗枝大葉，欠缺深度。身邊不少朋友喜歡豐腴、直接易喝的澳洲酒，愛其售價相宜。不過，隨著澳洲酒開始受到追捧，售價高昂的Cult Wine陸續誕生，究竟這些酒會否因陳年而變得如預期般醇厚，這是值的深思的問題。

一位有二十多年酒齡的前輩曾經這樣說：「澳洲酒就是欠缺一點深度，剛上市時喝，或者三年後，甚至十年後喝的差別不是很大，難以發展出如舊世界的複雜香氣和味道。即使是質素較高，售價達五、六百港元以的澳洲酒，適飲期一般是上市後三至八年左右，主要是喝其鮮味。如你期望陳年後的澳洲有著波爾多或隆河舊酒的風味，你很大機會感到失望。」

然而，總有人會買澳洲Cult Wine。口之於味，各有所好，有人特別鍾愛果味豐富的澳洲酒，假如澳洲所做的葡萄酒與法國的一模一樣，失去澳洲產地特色和釀酒風格，澳洲酒不是澳洲酒，那葡萄酒就沒有那麼好玩了。試想，如果世界所有地方也出產Parker’s Wine，所有酒都拿到九十幾分，那Parker的分數酒評還有存在價值嗎？相信Parker本人也深知“倒Parker者”的重要性，有抗衡才能顯出自己的價值。

以下是Peter Lehmann Stonewell Shiraz的補充資料：
釀製Stonewell的Shiraz來自Barossa的老藤，有些超過一百年，用美國桶陳釀兩年，入瓶後再於酒莊存放三年才推出市場發售，酒體豐厚深濃，是Peter Lehmann酒莊的旗艦酒款。Langton's Australian Fine Wine Buying and Investment Guid形容Stonewell是澳洲Shiraz的典範，級數等同Penfolds的Grange和Henschke的Hill of Grace.

Decanter於二千年九月對Stonewell進行垂直品評，結果很多舊年份的Stonewell都能熬到今天，而且獲得不錯的評價：

1987: (premier red, new oak casks, released after five years). Touch vegetal, blackberry nose, a bit thin on the palate.

1988: still a hint of purple in colour, fresh ripe hot grapes, touch of tar and rubber.

1989: beautiful ripe fruit, spicy nose, soft, silky, seductive fruit, showing very well.

1990: still quite young, with high tannins and an acid kick; lively with soft, rich fruit.

1991: a dense purple/red colour. Beautiful silky, smooth rich fruit, a lively acidic backbone and some tannins, a lovely wine with room to grow.

1992: a beautiful nose of fruit, liquorice, marmite and spice, that carried through on to a young vibrant fruit palate, with spice and tannins. Lovely wine with a long future ahead of it.

1993: coffee liquorice nose, with beautiful deep black fruit on the palate, an edge of coffee and tar - enormous concentration and depth - keep.

1994: still very young, big rich fruit, softer than the 1993, with quite drying tannins.

1995: big dense blackcurrant, liquorice nose; young, powerful, rich. Amazing big fruit, dense chocolate/liquorice, well integrated. Lovely length. Will last a long time.

1996: very concentrated hot tarry, wood-spice nose. Dense, fabulous fruit - striking hot ripe fruit.

1997: very rich brambly fruit nose, surprisingly smooth, sophisticated palate - fruit with an undercurrent of leather.

1998: very dense impenetrable colour, with a quite closed nose. Dense powerful fruit, very young, concentrated, needs a lot of time.