2017 Maverick Breechens Shiraz Barossa 750 ml

Down-Under Discovery at Tokyo Grand Hyatt

Ever since I first sipped this outstanding Shiraz at the Grand Hyatt in Tokyo, I have looked forward to writing these words: We are thrilled to introduce the United States to the 2017 Maverick Breechens Shiraz Barossa Valley, a wine that has long enjoyed smashing success in Europe and Asia, where you’ll see it in Michelin-rated restaurants. ​

Crafted from 40-to-150-year-old vines, Maverick Breechens hails from a high-quality 2017 South Australia harvest, and is the handiwork of Ronald Brown, who dove into biodynamic agriculture in France in 1993, then moved to Barossa in 2004. Maverick is one of Australian wine authority James Halliday’s prestigious 5-star wineries, and this light-on-its feet Shiraz shows exactly what charmed me when I first tasted it in Japan: It is fleshy, brambly, and ripe, with a lively acid that makes it infinitely drinkable. A wine fit for a 3-star meal at Joel Robuchon in Paris, but priced for a carefree night with good friends. $21.99 on a case, shipping included on 6.

I have been following Maverick for years—but since it has been unavailable in the U.S., everything I learned about the winery I learned overseas. The wine is incredibly popular in Asia, as well as in Europe, where Maverick vigneron Ronald Brown’s main influences lie. Brown has made wine in Switzerland, and began working biodynamically in France in 1993. Eventually he decided to bring his European sensibilities to Australia’s rising Barossa Valley, where he founded Maverick in 2004.

Barossa is one of the most renowned wine regions in the New World, known for its warm, dry climate and beautifully ripe grapes. Typically grown in broad rows, much of the fruit of Barossa is capable of being machine-harvested. But Brown sticks steadfastly to the most time-tested ways of making wine: the vines in Maverick’s seven vineyards—from “youthful” plants 40 years of age to ancestor vines that top 150—are treated with utmost respect: no chemical additives or pesticides are used. The grapes are hand-picked, carried in small bins, and undergo mostly natural fermentations. In addition to his European savoir-faire, Brown has brought top-notch French cooperage: Much of his wine is aged in François Frères “Delas” barrels, which are imported into Australia specially for Maverick.

This trinity of worldly vintner, Old World craft, and one of the New World’s most generous regions yields a gorgeous result. Aged for 18 months in old oak, the 2017 Maverick Breechens Shiraz is vivid fuschia-purple in the glass, with fleshy, brambly fruit and lively acidity. It is exactly why I have been looking forward to sharing this fascinating producer with Wine Access clients, and a wine I hope you will share with good friends.