" We don't sell the wine without touching the vine "
Two Jokers Shiraz 2012
No longer available.
| Country: | Australia |
| Region: | South Eastern Australia |
| Winery: | Thorn Clarke |
| Grape Type: | Shiraz |
| Vintage: | 2012 |
| Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
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This limited release wine is created from the fusion of two exceptional parcels of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. This classic blend is matured in the finest oak crafting an intriguing unison that captures the essence of the vineyard and highlights its unique varietal expression.
Vintage Overview
2012 was a very good season with predominantly mild, dry days. Yields were generally low and this did result in some excellent parcels of fruit being harvested. Vine-balance was carefully monitored, resulting in fruit that demonstrates the vibrancy and fruit-derived characters that the family strives for in its wines. By all accounts it was a textbook vintage.
Tasting Notes
Deep inky purple in color. Aromas of blackberry, mocha, mint and spices. Lush, ripe palate dominated by black fruits, cherry and chocolate. An expansive palate with black fruits and nicely balanced by oak.
Made with the greatest dedication and care, select parcels were matured in new and seasoned French and American oak for up to 20 months prior to being selected for this blend. Individual barrels from our family estate that best demonstrate the intensity of our fruit, balanced by integrated oak were selected for the final blend, which was then bottled with minimal filtration.
Pairs well with venison, ribeye steak, lamb.
Review:
"A 60-40 blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2012 The Bryson Barrel Select offers minty notes layered over dark fruit. Roasted meat, blueberry and cassis also play roles in this full-bodied but structured wine that appears to be at or near peak maturity. - Joe Czerwinski"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Interim end of September 2018), 93 pts
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Champagne with rich and structured aromas. Very pleasant and generous roundness, nice length in mouth. Golden color with buttery and fruity aromas. All the expression of a magnificent terroir for your most pleasurable moments.
To be a member of this Club, Champagne producers have to elaborate their Cuvées in their own facility, meaning the pressing, bottling, ridding, disgorging, etc., have to be done at the domaine/estate. Then, only the Recoltants-Manipulants are accepted. Everybody has to respect the Club’s rules to ensure the quality. These rules include: * Only vintages * Two tastings to control the quality: the first one after the blending, when the wine is still “Vin Clair” (juice) and another after the 3 years (or more) of ageing “sur lattes”. There are 26 members, each of whom can produce his Special Club with his own techniques: * blending or “monocru” (only one grape variety) * “blanc de blancs” or “blanc de noirs”; ageing from 3 to 10 years, brut or extra-brut. 4 year ageing minimum Strict selection of plots only made out of our old vineyards.
Special Club is a group of growers who taste and approve each other's chosen Champagnes before release, giving a wine with this label special cachet. This rich wine, aged for 10 years on its lees, is well textured, with fruit that still shows youth and intense apple and citrus flavors. Drink from 2022.
- Wine Enthusiast (December 1st 2019), 94 pts
"The Special Club offers notes of brioche and poached pear on the nose and presents a rich, fresh palate of excellent textural richness and complexity. Finishes long and focused with hints of oyster shell and citrus. Overall, an outstanding Special Club from the superb 2012 vintage. This cuvée meets the rigorous production and tasting standards of the Club Trésors; it’s 100% old vine Chardonnay with 6 years sur latte." - I-WineReview (Champagne: Diversity and Change, January 2020), 95 pts
Deep red with a slight purple hue on release. The wine has a rich mix of dark chocolate infused with coffee bean and black liquorice, then scents of tar, aniseed, raw (pure) soy and black olive on the nose. The palate is expansive, and yet balanced and finessed. An amalgam of dark berried flavors and textural sensations. The 100% new oak is completely absorbed, meshed with ripe tannins, completing a palate of impressive length and youthfulness.
Parcels of fruit for this wine were identified in the vineyard by the winemakers. Daily fruit inspection led to the fruit being harvested at optimum flavor ripeness. The fruit was harvested at night and quickly transported to the winery. The fruit was destemmed to 6T open fermenters for fermentation. A Shiraz specific yeast was selected to ferment the wine and fermentation was carried out at a maximum of 28°C. The fermenter was manually pumped over twice daily in the first half of fermentation to give the winemakers control of color, flavor and tannin extraction. Pump over regimes were adjusted toward the end of fermentation to suit the tannin and flavor extraction of the wine. The cap was completely broken up on each pump over. The wine remained in fermenters for 6-8 days (dependent on parcel) before being pressed, inoculated with malolactic bacteria and filled to American oak (100% new barrels). The wine was racked post malolactic fermentation and returned to the same barrels. The wine was topped every month and after six months racked and returned to the same barrels again. Prior to bottling the parcels were emptied from oak and blended. Minimal fining and filtration was carried out prior to bottling.
Review:
"Full-bodied and rich, this is a traditional style of Barossa Shiraz, aged in American oak hogsheads. Faint menthol or dill notes and plenty of vanilla frame plum and mulberry fruit, while hints of green peppercorn and maple syrup add interest to the long finish. Drink now–2030. - Joe Czewinski" - Wine Enthusiast (April 2017), 93 pts
2012 Vintage:
Voted Best Shiraz in the World at London's International Wine & Spirit Competition
Voted Best Shiraz in the World at London's International Wine & Spirit Competition
Babylons Peak Paardeberg Shiraz is made from 100 percent Shiraz.
Babylon's Peak winery, situated on the highest weathered granite slopes of the Paardeberg Mountain, is privately owned by the Basson family who has passed down the tradition, passion and art of winemaking over four generations. Predominantly low-yield dryland bushvines are selected to produce these excellent wines with distinctive character.
A classic Shiraz with dark fruit, violets and white pepper. An elegant wine with ripe tannins and a lingering aftertaste.
The grapes were harvested by hand. The grapes were destalked only, no crushing was done. Cold maceration was done before fermentation started in open fermenters. The grapes fermented between 24-26°C for 5-7 days, after which the wine was taken to barrels where it went through malolactic fermentation. After malolactic fermentation was completed, the wine spent 14 months in 225 litre French oak barrels until bottling.
Pairs with rich and creamy meat dishes eg. oxtail and venison.
Review:
"The Shiraz is our favorite of the Babylon Peak portfolio. It offers nice purity of black fruit with a licorice note on the nose and flavors of blackberry, mocha, and a touch of dried fruit. It’s softly textured with good supporting acidity and has an attractive cracked pepper spice note. Fermented with some viognier skins and matured 12-14 months in oak barrels. - Don Winkler" - i-winereview.com (The Wines of Babylon’s Peak in South Africa’s Swartland, September 30th 2019), 91 pts
A terrific Old Vine Zinfandel from a single vineyard and an epic vintage!
Wine Description: The Gamba Old Vine 2012 Starr Road Ranch Zinfandel reveals an inviting dark ruby-purple hue in the glass. A fascinating nose weaves aromas of blackberry bramble and cherry vanilla with essences of cider spice and nutmeg. On the palate, the intense layers of juicy dark fruits such as a black cherry, velvety blackberry and flinty plum flavors offer a richness that fills the mouth with essence of roasted fig, and pleasingly lingers on the palate. The fruit is framed by an appealing lift of acidity and complimented by freshly toasted cocoa, caramel and spicy, mild tobacco leaf. Finally, the wine is accented by soft tannins and lead to a long, balanced finish that invites the next taste experience.
Vineyard Information: The Gamba Starr Road Ranch Vineyard
Planted in the Russian River Valley on a gently rolling hillside in 1920, the Starr Road Ranch Vineyard, formerly known as the Moratto Vineyard, is organically farmed, consistently producing low yields of the highest quality fruit year after year. We are excited to continue our work with this legendary vineyard site, and share the resulting wines with you.
"With a Barossa heritage of six generations, and years of carefully planned vineyard development, it's little wonder that Thorn-Clarke produces fine and true examples of the wines that have made this region world famous.
Our ancestor James Goddard knew where to dig when he discovered gold in 1870 in the Barossa. Ever since our family has been intrigued by geology. A fine legacy reflected in the family's expertise in knowing in which soils to plant vines that produce wines of outstanding varietalcharacter.
This wine is another fine example of Barossa Shiraz. The bougquet has lifted fruit aromas, white the palate displays typical varietal Shiraz characters of chocolate and plum fruit. Expert use of mainly American oak has resulted in subtle vanillin flavors." -David Clarke, Vigneron
Product Description
"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." Winemaker's Notes
Winery: Thorn Clarke
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.
- back
Dark and chocolate, spiced with pretty notes of allspice and clove, this wine is round and rich, bursting with ripe berries, combined with an earthy complexity and a velvety finish.
Made from 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Franc
The wine spent 22 months on 75% new French oak with the remaining 25% second vintage French oak. Select barrels from the best forests of Taransaud, Boutes, Quintessance, and Vicard cooperages.
Review:
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Cabernet Franc (30%) and Merlot, this wine seems a little green out of the gate, with aromas of herbs, cocoa, vanilla, black licorice, woodspice and black fruit. The fruit flavors display the warmth of this region, with the tannins providing some heft, stretching out over time. - Wine Enthusiast 91 Points
Tamarack Cellars’ 2011 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Reserve is an outstanding blend of 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Franc that spent 22 months (each variety is kept separate until 12 months after the harvest) in 50% new and 50% once-used French oak. Classically styled, with lots of smoke tobacco, licorice and blackcurrant aromas and flavors, it has everything in the right place, in the right proportions, and is incredibly enjoyable to drink. Enjoy this medium to full-bodied, moderately tannic, balanced beauty over the coming decade, although it will probably last longer. - Robert Parker Wine Advocate 91 Points
Jada Jersey Girl is made from 88% Syrah, 9% Viognier, 3% Graciano.
Deep in color with lengthy, mouthwatering aromatics. Ripe blackberries and blueberries with intriguing notes of citrus and stone fruit, surely from the Viognier in this blend, are perfectly in balance with grilled meats, delicate barrel spice, and rich chocolate. The finish is as elegant as the nose, with silky tannins and soft acidity.
The wine has been named in honor of Jack, the owner's lovely wife, Robyn, who was born in New Jersey. Jack loves both Bruce Springsteen’s and Tom Wait’s versions of “Jersey Girl” and don't be surprised if you hear it frequently in the tasting room. It is a great song and Robyn is a great woman, mother, and wife.
At the core of the Jersey Girl is a co-fermentation of Syrah and Viognier, made possible by the similar ripening period for the Viognier and the Estrella clone of Syrah from the Jada Vineyard. This Côte-Rôtie style fermentation adds huge aromatic potential and tannic structure to the blend. In 2017, one other clone of Syrah (383) and Graciano were added to the blend for additional color, spice, and earthy notes. Fermentations ranged from 8 to 23 days using pump-overs in the first third of the fermentation and gentle punch-downs for the remaining time. Aging for 16 months in a combination of large format barrels and special toasts were used to increase structure and highlight varietal characteristics. (21% new french oak, 79% neutral oak)
Review:
"The 2017 Syrah Jersey Girl is a Syrah-dominated blend that includes 10% Viognier. Brought up in 21% new French oak, its deep purple color is followed by notes of blackberries, toasted spice, cured meats, pepper, and hints of chocolate. Ripe, rounded, and supple on the palate, with a savory, meaty character, it's beautifully balanced, has fine tannins, and a great finish."
- Jeb Dunnuck (October 2019), 94 pts
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