Winemaker Notes
Bordeaux varieties made in a Loire style - vibrant, bright fruits and soft tannins.
Blend: 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, 13% Grenache, 6% Malbec, 6% Carignan, 2% Sciacarello
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, 13% Grenache, 6% Malbec, 6% Carignan and 2% Sciacarello, this 2021 The Clare Red Wine is fine and leafy, but plush and full. The tannins really play off each of the varieties in the mouth—this is pleasurable and exciting. Fine acid spools through the fruit. It has black tea detail. Elegance abounds here.
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James Suckling
Naturally fermented in open-tops, before several months in Slavonian foudres. Mid-weighted, pliant and easy to drink, despite a rustic whiff. This does not impinge, however, on the overall sense of poise or drinkability. Mint, root spice, blackcurrant and dried tea to sage, lathering the tannins. The appeal here lies in the versatility and overall savoriness.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
A narrow band of hills and valleys east of the city of Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills region is a diverse landscape featuring a variety of microclimates. In general it is moderate with high-altitude areas cooler and wetter compared to its warmer, lower areas.
Piccadilly Valley, the part of Adelaide Hills closest to the city, was first staked out by a grower named Brian Croser, in the 1970s for a cool spot to grow Chardonnay, then uncommon in Australia. Today a good amount of the Chardonnay goes to winemakers outside of the region.
Producers here experiment with other cool-climate loving aromatic varieties like Pinot Gris, Viognier and Riesling. Charming sparkling wine is also possible. On its north side, lower, west-facing slopes make full-bodied Shiraz.