"The years roll on, circumstances change, yet Wendouree remains something of a constant. Tasting the new releases from Wendouree is a highlight on my little wine calendar. Like sands through the hourglass… Wendouree Malbec, for me, stands tall as one of the best in the world. Comes from a Central vineyard planted in 1898.
Perfume of rose and musk, exotic spice, plum, ripe raspberry and fragrant dried herbs. Medium-bodied, succulent yet stern – a smile with a frown – silty mass of tannin, forest berries and a charming mouth-perfume, perhaps some tobacco, liquorice and the like, especially on the finish, which pulls savoury and goes long. Wendouree Malbec is, perhaps, the wine that provokes the biggest emotional response from me: well, pass the tissues then. And maybe I should rate it even higher, for that reason alone."
96 points, Gary Walsh, July 2018.
The Clare Valley
The Clare Valley is located two hours north of Adelaide in the Mount Lofty ranges. The region was settled by John Horrocks who encouraged his servant James Green to plant the first vines in 1842. Climate in the Clare Valley is continental with hot summers, cold winters and low rainfall that necessitates supplementary irrigation. Soils in the valley are predominantly red brown loams over shale, permitting excellent drainage. Many of the best vineyards are located at higher elevations of 400-500m on sites that take advantage of the cool breezes that funnel up the corrugation of hills from the south. The Clare Valley is renowned for its zesty fruit-pure Rieslings particularly from the sub-regions of Polish Hill and Watervale. The region also produces intense age-worthy sturdy reds from Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.
