Australia’s Clare Valley: a mini-study in six wines
The Clare Valley is an interesting region in South Australia that’s made its reputation on Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as turning out very smart Shiraz. I tried through these six wines.
Pauletts Polish Hill River Riesling 2025 Clare Valley, Australia
11% alcohol. Slate soils. This is juicy and chalky with a strong lemony character and good acidity. It’s quite lean and focused but not austere, and there are some really nice floral notes. Has a compact character, a subtle oiliness and a tight finish. Classic, with good intensity, and a long future ahead of it. 93/100
Pikes Traditionale Riesling 2025 Clare Valley, Australia
11% alcohol. Brisk and limey, and quite vivid with high acidity. Dry and linear. This is really juicy and focused with nice energy and transparency. There’s a slight chalkiness, too. 93/100
Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 2025 Clare Valley, Australia
12.3% alcohol. Taut, focused nose of lemon and lime with some floral hints. Honeysuckle and maybe even some jasmine. In the mouth this has wet stone minerality with delicate citrus fruit, showing lovely poise and balance, and a touch of chalkiness. 94/100
Jim Barry The Florita Riesling 2024 Clare Valley, Australia
12% alcohol. This is complex and limey, with lovely texture. There’s some breadth to the fruit as well as spicy grapefruit framing, a touch of margarita, and nice tension and balance. Such purity here: this blends concentration with refinement. 94/100
Mount Horrocks Shiraz Alexander Vineyard 2022 Clare Valley, Australia
On opening this has a peppery edge and some muted, slightly reductive berry fruit aromas. Supple herb-laced cherry and plum fruit on the palate. Midweight and slighty angular with some sour acid on the finish. Brisk and very Australian in style. Tastes a bit too acidified? But otherwise really nice. 90/100
Wakefield St Andrews Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 Clare Valley, Australia
[Wakefield is the name used by Taylors for export markets.] Lovely aromatics here with sweet herb-laden blackcurrant fruit, with some strawberry and mint in the mix. Richly textured with a lovely smoothness to the mid-palate, showing sweet blackcurrant and cherry fruit and fine-grained earthy, leafy complexity. Approachable but also has seriousness. 94/100
