Red

Siegel Gran Reserva Carmenere is made from 100% Carmenere.

The grapes for the Gran Reserva wines are the product of a careful selection of Siegel's best vineyards in the Colchagua Valley, harvested by hand, and revealing a strong expression of the land.

Intense ruby ​​color with tiled notes, A kirch, floral, slightly smoky liquorice nose.
A supple palate with sweetness and refined oaky notes. Nice length in the mouth.

Sobrenatural Tinto Organic is amde from 80% Tannat and 20% Malbec from Chakana’s Finca Nuna vineyard, fermented with indigenous yeasts. Sobrenatural is a new line of certified biodymanic and no Sulphur added wines from Chakana’s Nuna vineyard.

Deep, dark fruit aromas. Firm tannins balanced by a juicy, soft texture, good acidity and length.

Pairs with empeñadas, pork chops, Chorizo, spicy food, grilled vegetables. 

USDA Organic

Fermented with native yeasts in concrete vats for 6 months (no epoxy sealing). No fining, no filtration, no additives. NO SULFITES ADDED.

Thorn Clarke Shotfire Quartage is made from  47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, 14% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot .

The Shotfire range honors a family pioneer who worked the Barossa goldfields in the late 1800's. He had the hazardous job of being a 'Shotfirer'; one who handled the explosives to be used in finding that rich vein of gold.

Shotfire Quartage is based on the five traditional red varieties found in the Bordeaux region of France (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec). The Thorn-Clarke winemakers use at least four of the varieties to create the blend each year (occasionally, they can get over excited and use all five). The blend is a reminder to not only look to the future but also to keep an eye on the past and tradition.

Thorn Clarke Shotfire Shiraz is made from 100% Shiraz. 

Striking deep red-purple in color. A rich, voluptuous wine with aromas of blackcurrant and mulberries accompanied by notes of smokey oak and hints of cloves. The palate is filled with dark fruits and chocolate backed up by taut tannins and lingering oak.

 Story:

When the Clarke forebearers discovered gold in 1870 at the Lady Alice mine in the Barossa goldfields, so began a family dynasty intrigued by geology. A fine legacy that is reflected today in the terroir of our vineyards. The Shotfire range immortalizes the Shotfirer's hazardous job of setting and lighting the charges in the mines.

Fran shares his story on how he discovered Thorn-Clarke:
     "It was October 2001 and I was searching for and sourcing for Australian wines, as it was clear that Australia was going to become the "next big thing." After tasting about 100 assorted wines, I decided I liked the style of Barossa, Shiraz best - chocolate, cherries, mint and eucalyptus - so I started focusing on Barossa growers (years later, Barossa Shiraz would develop its reputation as the Icon Shiraz for Australia).
     Late on a Thursday afternoon, the carrier delivered a beat-up box of 12 bottles from Australia, 10 of which were leaking. The box was from a guy named Steve Machin, who had just left Hardy's and was beginning work with the Clarke family on setting up a possible new brand. The samples were sticky and messy, but I popped the corks anyway ..... and I was glad that I did. The wine inside tasted like Christmas - mint, eucalyptus, camphor, and evergreen aromas. Great acidity, color, flavor and length of finish - very tasty. These samples were so good and so exciting, especially compared to what I had tasted prior, that I immediately called the number on the card. I didn't realize that it was a Perth number (Western Australia) and it was actually 3:00 in the morning. It turned out I was calling the residence of David and Cheryl Clarke, where a sleepy Cheryl answered the phone. I told her, you don't know who I am, but we are going to be doing business together very soon, and lots of it! After a few months of talking, faxing (yes, faxing) and sorting out the details, I began importing their wines.
     That super-star wine from the busted box of samples is the wine we know today as Shotfire Shiraz. It was originally called Stone Jar, but fortunately we came up with a better name. Many years and vintages later, I'm still glad to be importing Shotfire Shiraz and other Thorn-Clarke selections .... and I'm still glad that Cheryl Clarke woke up for that phone call."

Xavier Vignon Cotes du Rhone Rouge Vieilles Vignes is made from 70% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre and 15% Syrah

Grenaches are almost hundred years old, Mourvèdres more than 60 years old and Syrahs are 45 years old in average.

There's a spicy, green peppercorn edge to the Cotes du Rhone Vieilles Vignes. It's medium to full-bodied, with svelte, supple tannins and plenty of plummy fruit that exhibits more savory notes and spice on the long finish.

Review:

"The deep black-cherry and ripe-blackberry fruit, plus the full, soft body push this to the edge of sweetness on the palate. However, the gentle dry tannins at the velvety finish just keep it on track. A style that now seems a bit dated, but plenty of wine drinkers love this. Drink now."

- James Suckling (March 2022), 90 pts