If you want to really experience Australian wine culture, South Australia is where you should go. This state, founded by free settlers, not convicts, produces more than half of the country’s wines. Although the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale are probably the best-known wine regions, there’s a real gem that many tourists miss: the Clare Valley.
Ninety minutes north of South Australia’s capital, Adelaide, Clare makes only one percent of Australia’s wine. But it's a charming rural area which produces wines that win critical acclaim across Australia and around the world.
Winemaking began in Clare in 1851 led by Austrian Jesuits at Sevenhills. Today there are 40 wineries in the region and most are boutique and family owned.
When it comes to reds, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and blends are popular. One such blend is Kilikanoon 2016 Mulga ($13.97 on sale), a GSM made from Grenache, Shiraz, and Mataro (Mourvedre). It’s a fruit bomb with boysenberry along with balsamic, spice and black pepper notes in a smooth medium bodied wine.
Another cuvée is The Barry Brother’s 2014 Shiraz Cabernet ($27.99). It’s highly decorated, taking Top Gold at the 2016 Royal Adelaide show and the Trophy for Best Cabernet Shiraz Blend at the 2016 Royal Queensland Wine Show
The winery’s namesake, Jim Barry was the first trained winemaker in the Clare Valley and set the benchmark for high quality in the Clare region. Today his son Peter Barry continues the pursuit of excellence along with Peter’s sons Tom and Sam who made the 2014 Shiraz Cabernet.
“Dad (Peter) presented my brother Sam and I with the opportunity to make a wine that represented the younger generation and we chose to make our mark on the classic Australian blend of Shiraz and Cabernet,” said third generation family winemaker, Tom.
“We pick the grapes a bit earlier and as a result we produce a medium bodied wine which is vibrant and juicy. It is the kind of wine that we enjoy drinking and is appealing to younger and older generations alike.”
The Shiraz softens the edges of the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Cab adds more backbone to the Shiraz. Both grapes together make for a more complex wine. Look for a floral cassis bouquet with a juicy blackberry flavour and notes of vanilla, leather, licorice, and black pepper. And smooth as silk.
The king of reds, however is Jim Barry’s “The Armagh”, a Shiraz. The 2015 vintage was awarded 95 points by veteran wine critic James Halliday in his 2019 Wine Companion. “Strong barrel ferment aromas lead off, scenting this fully flared wine with deli meats and smoked backstop aromas. Then the fruit: blue and black allusions all. Anise, clove, cardamom and vanilla-cased oak. Lots.” Available at Everything Wine, $439.11! A delicious and more affordable alternative is the $60 94-point Jim Barry McRae Wood Shiraz.
Clare is also famous for producing premium Riesling known for their intensity and longevity. There are several different sites in the region and each expresses subtle differences in the wine. Rieslings from Watervale have volumes of fruit flavour, floral and lime with lots of acidity. Those from the cooler Polish Hill area are more austere and delicate. Wines from Leasingham are lighter and more aromatic.
Jim Barry produces one of the finest Rieslings in Clare and in Australia, the Florita. James Halliday awarded the 2017 Florita 97 points in his Wine Companion 2019, “Superlative Clare! Grapefruit pulp, lemon zest, jasmine, bath salts and Thai herb notes stream across a bow of limestone-derived minerality and palate-whetting acidity.” Available at Everything Wine, $58.99.
