I felt that the posts in the "What are you drinking thread" would have got fully off topic if I picked up on this thread there, but I was intrigued by the debate whether Clare Valley produces good cabernet.
As a fan of the Grosset Gaia and Wendouree (though I prefer the Cab Malbec to the straight Cab) and others such as Mt Horrocks and Skilogalee (again a blend), I didn't think this was a controversial topic - but it seems it is!
I have copied across the comments from the WAYD thread... anybody have any further views?
rooman wrote:
Chris H wrote:Jamie said :
I don't know. I just don't get it. Perhaps I should ask the question are there any Clare Valley red wines liked by the fanatical detractors of Wendouree ?
Interesting question Jamie. Personally I think Clare is too warm for quality Cabernet. Hence I sold the rest of my mid-nineties Wendouree Cab-Malbecs in the past MW auction (buyers would have got a bargain though if they like that style as they have been coolly cellared since their release and delivery from Birks many years ago). Shiraz is their best wine I think by a margin.
I used to be on their list but found the wines relatively uninteresting more often than not so stopped buying. Each to their own. Quite a few label drinkers in China though - hence the passion for label counterfeiting, former love of Lafite, current love of any big name in Burgundy and investing in Bordeaux Chateaux.
I think the only SA cab sav wine I can recall collecting and enjoying with some age was Grosset's Gaia. I purchased both the 99 and 01 off a colleague that had excess stock. Over time they did the classic Cab Sav ugly duckling trick on me. I started drinking them too early, was disappointed with them around 7 years of age only to find out around 12 years they had emerged as a refined almost feminine like wine with red berry bouquets and a full mid palate - very Margauxish.
Interesting question. I dont think ive had any other than Wendouree which i have liked. I really like Barossa Cab which some of my colleagues thinks is a bit strange.
yes, I rate Clare Cabernet. Like any other variety and region you are going to have your good and bad wines (vintage dependent also). But I find them to be consistently good wines and at price points that are pretty good value, you can get some very tannic wines though at times.
If you start to the South of the Valley at Auburn and head north (just to name a few examples off the top of my head):
Grosset Gaia - everyone I have tried I have enjoyed Taylors - the entry level white label is consistent for the price point, the Jaraman is very good, St Andrews an excellent wine (i have tried the 04,05 and 09 in recent times - all have aged nicely), then there is the flag ship Visionary at $200 / bottle. Claymore - nice cabernet, but quite a 'ripe' style O'Leary Walker - have a very good Cabernet and Cabernet Malbec, very good value in my view Crabtree - small producer, lovely Cabernet Sevenhill - make a good straight Cabernet and a blend Skillogalee - can be hit and miss, but produce some good wines Pauletts - very nice Cabernet Merlot Knappstein - really enjoy the Enterprise Cabernet Jim Barry - make some very good Cabernet also
For around 25 the Tim Adams Cab Malbec is good VFM. Also had a few Tim Gramp Cabs that i've quite liked and is a fave with the boss. Been thru quite a few crabtree cabs over the years. Good quaffers. Kilikanoon Blocks Road Cab also another good VFM splasher. Don't mind some of Reilly's Cabs too. Had some with a bit of age and enjoyed.
There's a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot.
At the end of my visit to the Clare Valley many years ago, I looked over my notes and realized that many of the Cabernet wines came out ahead of the Shirazes. Of course it wasn't by any means an exhaustive look but rather an overview of my tasting note scores.
At Mitchells I preferred their 'Sevenhill' Cabernet to the 'Pepper Tree' Shiraz (both '98s), at Eldridge I preferred the Cabernet to their premium 'Blue Chip' Shiraz, and at Brian Barry's I liked the 'Jud's Hill' Cabernet. Also, at Jim Barry's, the inexpensive Cabernet blend was very attractive and was the best value for money. This is not to say that there were no good Shirazes, the '99 Tim Adams 'Aberfeldy' was lovely, and something I scored 92/93 if I recall, though the funny thing was that I ended up buying the '98 Aberfeldy that I found in the basement of a local pub/hotel.
From personal experience I am convinced that Cabernet can make excellent wines in the Clare Valley.
Scotty, +1 for Crabtree, have several vintages, lovely soft delicate wines. Pikes tops shelf cab?? cab blend also very good. New cab release from Kerri Thompson that I would like to try
