| Country: | Australia |
| Winery: | Thorn Clarke |
| Grape Type: | Riesling |
| Vintage: | 2016 |
| Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
This Thorn Clarke Mt. Crawford Riesling is a fine example of Mount Crawford climate, soil and aspect combining to display a varietal bouquet of spicy floral characters. With fresh, crisp citrus notes and a long finish on the palate, this wine can be enjoyed with a vast array of foods. The winemaker recommends enjoying this with spicy tandoori chicken.
This Thorn Clarke Mt. Crawford Riesling is a fine example of Mount Crawford climate, soil and aspect combining to display a varietal bouquet of spicy floral characters. With fresh, crisp citrus notes and a long finish on the palate, this wine can be enjoyed with a vast array of foods. The winemaker recommends enjoying this with spicy tandoori chicken.
Thorn Clarke Varietal Collection Pinot Gris is made from 100 percent Pinot Gris.
We believe that exceptional wines are created in the vineyard and that we are custodians, rather than creators of quality. Six generations of rich viticultural and geological family history has gone into creating these wines, which truly showcase the best of the Barossa & Eden Valley.
Pale straw in color with quartz green hues at the edge. A classic Pinot Gris style with lifted nashi pear, apples and nougat aromas. The palate is a textural, medium weight style with juicy pome fruits and zesty lime and grapefruit. A refreshing style with a subtle texture and long, fruit driven finish.
Thorn Clarke Milton Park Chardonnay grapes were crushed, destemmed and then pressed using a membrane press. Pressings were not used. Fermented using French Yeast at 12-15 degrees Celcius. The ferment was kept slow and cool to retain all the natural flavors of the grape. The wine was then racked and filtered. Bottling took place soon afterwards so the wine was a true expression of the grape and the terroir from which it was made.
The color is a rich vibrant green. The nose shows lifted clean, sweet fruit of apricot and peach. The palate is medium to full bodied and exhibits predominantly peach and nectarine flavors, with cloves and cardamom evident from the use of a small amount of French oak. The wine finishes full and long with a nice balance of sweet fruit and creaminess.
Thorn Clarke Milton Park Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Thorn Clarke Milton Park Chardonnay grapes were crushed, destemmed and then pressed using a membrane press. Pressings were not used. Fermented using French Yeast at 12-15 degrees Celcius. The ferment was kept slow and cool to retain all the natural flavors of the grape. The wine was then racked and filtered. Bottling took place soon afterwards so the wine was a true expression of the grape and the terroir from which it was made.
The color is a rich vibrant green. The nose shows lifted clean, sweet fruit of apricot and peach. The palate is medium to full bodied and exhibits predominantly peach and nectarine flavors, with cloves and cardamom evident from the use of a small amount of French oak. The wine finishes full and long with a nice balance of sweet fruit and creaminess.
Thorn Clarke Milton Park Shiraz is aged for 12 months in American oak barrels.
Deep red color. The wine is deep and rich smelling with dark fruits, plums and spice with some good oak. There is very rich fruit on the palate with plums, blackberry and sweet spice from the oak. The palate is vibrant and young with a flavorsome viscous mouthfeel which will develop complexity with time. There are some slightly chewy tannins which will soften with time and there is great length of fruit flavor.
Fragrant spring blossoms with a hint of citrus peel lead into a delicate precise, mouth watering palate. Crunchy green apples and lovely minerality have the tastebuds salivating and screaming out for more.
Picked during the cool of night. An intentional minimalistic approach to winemaking to ensure the vineyard character sings. Free run juice, fermented cool, minimal fining and filtration.
Riesling
Long term
Review:
"Green-hued straw. High-pitched aromas of grapefruit, pear skin, lemongrass and honeysuckle carry a vibrant mineral overtone. Nervy and linear on the palate, offering juicy citrus and orchard fruit flavors that deepen steadily through the midpalate. Shows emphatic mineral character on the incisive, impressively long finish, which leaves behind zesty citrus fruit and floral notes.- Josh Raynolds"
- Vinous (Australia Brings the Brawn and the Beauty, October 2017), 91 pts
The Thorn Clarke Estate
The winery owners are David and Cheryl Clarke (born Thorn) and their son Sam is the manager of the winery. The Thorn-Clarke family has a long history in the Barossa - six generations of involvement in the region's world famous wine industry. The Thorns have been grape growers in the Barossa since the 1870's. David Clarke's passion for the wine industry lead to the planting of the Kabininge vineyard outside of Tanunda in 1987, which represents the start of a deeper involvement by the family in the Barossa wine industry.
The Thorn Clarke Vineyards
St Kitts and Truro Vineyards--Cooler, and with lower rainfall, these northern Barossa vineyards totaling 103 hectares, are at an elevation of between 380 and 410 meters.
Mt Crawford Vineyard--Late ripening, high rainfall and with elevations as high as 475 meters above sea level, this 37 hectare Eden Valley vineyard can easily be confused with the Adelaide Hills - which is after all just across the range. This site was specially selected as it was considered ideal to grow grape varieties which respond to cold climate.
Kabininge Vineyard--In stark contrast, the 33 hectare Kabininge vineyard is true Barossa Valley floor terroir. At just 270 meters above sea level red winegrapes ripen easily here.
Milton Park Vineyard--Located in classic Eden Valley country, between Angaston and Keyneton, the Milton Park vineyard has an elevation of between 330 and 400 meters above sea level.
Pierre Olivier Sparkling Rose NV is a value sparkling rosé, made with Tempranillo grapes from around the French/Spanish border (next to the Pyrenees). This is a new Kysela Project.
This wine is aromatized with a very little amount of Raspberry flavor, giving a nice mouthfeel, with an extra aromatic boost.
The bubbles are obtained using the Charmat method, named after Eugene Charmat, where the second fermentation takes places in a large, closed pressurized tank. It is different from the Methode Champanoise as the secondary fermentation doesn't take place in the bottle.
"Pale pink salmon. Just a touch off-dry, this is a very pleasant sparkler that reveals aromas of spicy red apple with a hint of cinnamon that carry through to the palate. Well made and exceedingly pleasant to drink."
- International Wine Review (Annual Rosé Report / April 2013), 89 pts
Familia Zuccardi 'Finca Piedra Infinita' Gravascal is made from 100 Malbec.
WINE DATA:
Grape Composition: 100% Malbec
Appellation: Finca Piedra Infinita, IG Paraje Altamira,Valle de Uco, Mendoze
Vinification: Manually selected grapes, filling of tanks by gravity. Fermentation with native yeasts in concrete vessels without epoxy. Aging in concrete vessels. The 2020 was a very particular vintage, characterized by limited yields and a high speed of maturity, which made it one of the fastest and most challenging on record.
In the search for the purest expression of the identity of Finca Piedra Infinita vineyard, we reached this small plot of 0.73 hectares. Located on its north-east side, it shows the typical facet of Paraje Altamira soil, with large gravels and granite stones covered with calcareous material at a depth of 50 cm.
Altitude: 3,609 feet above sea level
Soil Type: Short alluvial soil covered with calcareous materials
Alcohol: 14% Total Acidity: 5.6g/l
TASTING NOTES:
Color: Bright ruby color
Aroma: Dark berries, black olive tapenade, and iron
Flavor: Rich on the palate, with firm tanins
Molly Dooker Carnival of Love is made from 100% Shiraz.
The Wine
Carnival of Love is Mollydooker's flagship McLaren Vale Shiraz — a bold, richly layered red that has become one of Australia's most sought-after Shiraz bottlings. Grown on the Gateway vineyard and matured in 100% new American oak, it pours a deep, saturated purple and opens with lifted aromas of raspberry, black cherry and a whisper of aniseed spice. The palate is generous and plush, brimming with dark and red fruit, mocha, coconut and plum, all framed by chocolate, sweet spice and the signature Mollydooker fruit weight that carries the wine without ever feeling heavy. Powerful yet remarkably fresh, it drinks beautifully now and will reward another decade in the cellar.
Serving Tip
Give it the famous "Mollydooker Shake": pour off a small splash, re-cap the bottle and gently tip it a few times to release the winemaking nitrogen. The wine opens up richer, softer and more expressive in the glass.
Winery Info
Mollydooker was founded in 2005 by husband-and-wife winemakers Sparky and Sarah Marquis in McLaren Vale, South Australia. "Mollydooker" is Australian slang for a left-hander — both Sparky and Sarah are left-handed — and that playful, against-the-grain spirit runs through everything they make. The Marquises built their name on a fruit-first philosophy they call Marquis Fruit Weight™: farming for intensely concentrated, perfectly ripe grapes and letting that fruit, rather than heavy oak or extraction, define the wine. From a standing start the winery rocketed to international fame and a devoted worldwide following, and today ranks among the most recognized names in Australian wine. Carnival of Love sits at the top of the Mollydooker range as the flagship expression of everything McLaren Vale Shiraz can be.
Review:
Notes of star anise, red licorice and sarsaparilla add a wonderfully spicy thread that complements the core of cherry, including dried and kirschlike flavors. The dense tannins show a firming side that’s reminiscent of strong, malty Assam black tea and unsweetened chocolate.
Wine Spectator 93 Points