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Clare valley
Vines were first planted in the Clare Valley by John Horrocks in 1840 and expanded until around 1903. A resurgence of interest in the 1980s saw a similar expansion of wineries and large investments. Located north west of the Barossa Valley at a slightly higher altitude, the Clare Valley’s typography consists of a series of broken valleys, hills and gullies. The best sites are orientated west, at higher altitude, and the soils have significant limestone components. The most important sub districts of the southern Clare Valley are the two distinct sub-regions of Water Vale and Polish Hill River. The areas of Leasingham, Watervale and Auburn with soils of predominantly rich red clay and loam over limestone. Polish Hill River on the other hand is slightly cooler, thus ripening up to five weeks later.
While the majority of vines planted are red with Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz leading the way, paradoxically, Clare is perhaps best known for Riesling; the most planted white variety. Clare Shiraz is full bodied, dense and powerful, with notes of ripe fruits and characteristically powerful tannins, outstanding producers are Wendouree, Gaelic Cemetery and the Jim Barry Armagh. Clare Cabernet is similarly powerful, with firm but ripe tannins. Outstanding producers are Knappstein, Leasingham, Taylors and Wendouree.
Riesling is the most internationally recognised variety of the Clare Valley and is dry, with distinct floral and citrus (lemon and lime zest) characters and good acidity which develop into complex toasty characters with extended bottle age. The two districts of Polish Hill River and Watervale differ in their expressions of Riesling, with Watervale Riesling slightly softer and more floral than the intense, concentrated Polish Hill River wines. The Clare Valley is the heart of Australian Riesling production and the wines are unique among the Rieslings of the world and extraordinarily long lived and incredible value. Outstanding producers include Grosset, Mount Horrocks, O’Leary Walker and Pikes, though this is by no means and exhaustive list. Clare Riesling producers were at the forefront of the screwcap revolution when a number of them decided to bottle their 1999 Rieslings under screwcap.
Sources:
James Halliday's Wine Atlas of Australia, James Halliday
The Oxford Companion to Wine, (ed) Jancis Robinson
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Grosset Gaia 2022The blend in 2022 is 85/15% cabernet sauvignon/cabernet franc. A hauntingly beautiful rendition of Gaia that's svelte, even, succulent and impressive in persistence. There's immense concentration in its medium weight, compact frame, and tannins shimmer with emery board grip and drag stretching the wine out and tucking in the darker fruit, spice and herbal details. The perfume is rich in dark berries, black olive, mint and fennel with some woody spice overlay – lovely stuff here, too. The quality of tannin needs additional mention. This is such an impressive, elegant wine. MIKE BENNIE, Halliday Wine Companion2019Cabernet BlendsAustralia377$120.00 -
KT Watervale "5452" Riesling 2023What a delight from hello. It's a frisky, fruit-driven style, lots of character, lots of pleasure. More bandwidth than typical 'regional style riesling' with a thickset juiciness, some chalky pucker, depth to tropical fruits, citrus, green herbs. Nice course of briny minerality too. It turns the volume up a little on Clare riesling, and owns it in that way. It's delicious and full of character, is the message. Thank you. MIKE BENNIE, Halliday Wine Companion2023RieslingAustralia377$29.00 As low as $26.10 -
Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 2024AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 1st
Exceptional concentration of fruit flavour here. This is straight and direct but wow it has a charge to it. Lime, chalk, white flower and wet slate flavours storm through the palate in emphatic fashion. There’s an extra note to the finish that I can’t quite place but I’ll call it brine splashed on potpourri splashed on rocks. The longer I sit and taste this wine the more I think that this is a Grosset riesling for the ages. CAMPBELL MATTINSON, The Wine Front2024RieslingAustralia377$85.00 As low as $76.50 -
Mount Horrocks Cordon Cut 2024 375mllA highly risky and complex process, the making of this wine is very much about seat-of-pants decision making and this is where the experience of 30 vintages certainly helps!” says Stephanie.
The high-risk part comes after the canes that feed the fruit are cut – causing that fruit to concentrate – effectively using the vine as a drying rack for the fruit. Much depends on the weather conditions that follow – sunny and dry conditions work wonders; wet, cold or windy conditions all bring challenges. Stephanie uses intuition to decide the day to harvest.
This is a unique, delicious, concentrated wine that delivers all the hallmarks of riesling – citrus, florals and spice; beautifully expressed through an intense yet perfectly balanced palate and a pristine, clean finish.
2024RieslingAustralia377$47.00 As low as $42.30 -
Mount Horrocks Cabernet Sauvignon 2022From biodynamically (certified) grown vines. This switches things up for the general character of Clare Valley cabernet wines, lighter, brighter, frisky almost, lots of greenery and peppery spice, almost minty elements in dark chocolate, cassis, boysenberry characters to taste. There's a crispness to the wine, bright and lively, the herbaceous notes leading the way but not totally defining the wine. Fine, light tannins hold court. The perfume matches the flavours, a big fog of freshness, herbal detail and almost a sense of 'purple' if synesthesia is your thing. All up, a wine of vigour and good energy, though you'll be wanting cabernet on the more vibrant side overall. MIKE BENNIE, Halliday Wine Companion2022Cabernet BlendsAustralia377$60.00 As low as $54.00 -
Rieslingfreak No. 3 Clare Valley Dry Riesling 2024From the family White Hutt vineyard. Immediate white florals unfurl from the glass. Jasmine and flannel flower. Green Alphonso mango skin, orange blossom and pink lady apple. It’s tightly coiled with a touch of spritz that relaxes and opens to white stone fruit and lemon peel. Acidity, although upright as expected, is surprisingly unified in the wine. The fleshiness of white peach is gathering momentum. This feels like it’s been getting to know itself in the bottle for longer than it has. Ready for drinking but of course another 10-15 years of jubilant life ahead of it yet. Drink with peach and arugula salad with crumbled ghost cheese. (97) SHANTEH WALE, Wine Pilot2024RieslingAustralia377$30.00 As low as $27.00 -
Jim Barry Single Vineyard The Farm Cabernet Malbec 2021SHOW RESULTS SO FAR
" 2024 National Wine Show, Gold Medal
" 2023 Royal Queensland Wine Awards Trophy The Alan Cook MBE Trophy Best Cabernet Sauvignon Blend of show, Gold Medal
" 2023 Sydney Royal Wine Show Trophy The Jones, Steains and Waller Perpetual Trophy for Best Cabernet Dominant Blend, Gold Medal
" 2023 Clare Wine Show Trophy Best Vintage Section Other Dry Red, Gold Medal
" 2023 Clare Wine Show Trophy Carl Sobels Trophy Best Vintage Section Dry Red, Gold Medal
" 2023 Clare Wine Show Trophy Best Single Vineyard Wine, Gold Medal
" 2023 Clare Wine Show Trophy Jim Barry Trophy Best Wine of Show, Gold Medal
" 2023 Perth Royal Wine Show Gold Medal
This has stunning cassis and blackberry fruit with delicate notes of spice and smoke. Excellent concentration and focus on the palate, the abundant fine tannins effortlessly carrying the very long, plush finish that already makes this irresistible! JAMES SUCKLING
The 2021 The Farm Single Vineyard Cabernet Malbec is a singularly impressive wine: it is juicy and vibrant, but it is also layered with spice, rose petals, leaf/bramble and black tea nuance. The wine is detailed, incredibly so for the price (approximately $35AUD), and is possessed of the Clare Valley regional leafiness that so defines the Cabernets (and, to a certain extent, the Malbecs) from here. It's really good. ERIN LARKIN, Wine Advocate
2021Cabernet Sauvignon, MalbecAustralia377$35.00 As low as $31.50 -
Pikes The Merle Riesling 2024
The Merle never fails to sit among the very best releases of Clare Riesling, year after year, no matter what price bracket you quote. For me, this is one of our iconic Rieslings. The colour for this latest release is a near transparent lemon. The wine is elegant and refined, fresh and focused and offers drive, impeccable balance and endless length. A line of sea breeze acidity runs the length, the intensity never drops for a moment, and that freshness is still evident throughout. Fabulous stuff, this latest release is a worthy addition to the lineage. Enjoy over the next twenty years. Drink 2024-2044. (97) KEN GARGET, WinePilot.comI'd be happy to lie on my back and have someone drip feed this Pikes The Merle Riesling into my mouth for the rest of my days. What an impeccable wine this is. Pure, focused, detailed and delicate all at the same time, class oozes from every pore...(97) QWineReviews.com
Presence on the palate, bordering on weight, with fruit intensity presented as a wide, compelling sheet of flavour. Lime, bath salts and slate, with florals and spices – and citrus rind – for afters. Here we are again on the shore where elegance and power meet. There’s a whisper of reduction in play and an impression that this wine has been made to be cellared. And yet, right now, it’s immensely more-ish. It’s another belter from Pikes. (95) MIKE BENNIE, www.winefront.com
The 2024 The Merle Riesling is powerful and tightly controlled, with a long spool of flavor—lemongrass, white pepper, cheesecloth, bay leaf and scratched lime—that draws out over the finish. I like this wine in its youth, and I like it as an older wine as well. It's very smart and eloquently of place. 11.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Drink 2025-2044 (96) ERIN LARKIN, The Wine Advocate
2024RieslingAustralia377 -
Koerner Clare Classico 2020A blend of vineyards in Clare Valley blending cabernet sauvignon, malbec, sangiovese and grenache. Clever. Their own ‘classico’. The new label reversed the colours on this one, more black on black with white font, and it looks sexy as.
Gorgeous wine. Supple, succulent, lush with dark fruit character, new leather, tobacco, mint and sage leaf characters with a fine, graphite minerally character through it all. It feels warm-hearted and kind of generous but keeps to the medium weight brief. It rolls with flavour, energy and tension of refined tannins through a long, mouth-watering finish. It feels pedigree from hello and keeps you engaged. Really beautiful. MIKE BENNIE, www.winefront.com
2020BlendAustralia377$55.00 As low as $49.50