There are records showing this dual varietal blend of Shiraz and Cabernet appeared in the 1940s.
Cabernet is the most famous of the red varieties being associated with the Englishman’s Claret yet little was grown in Australia till the 1980s. Perhaps wanting Cabernet on the label led to the early versions being blended with Shiraz which was plentiful. Another idea was presented in the food magazine Epicurean in the 1970s which explained that Cabernet had a hollow mid-palate and the wines were best when beefed up with Shiraz. Our winemaker did many experiments with both varieties in the early days of Glug and we released Langdorf Kaldukee Shiraz Cabernet from vintages 2008 and 2010. It’s nice to see it return though it will be an occasional wine when an interesting blend can be created.
