Kalleske Clarry's GSM 2016
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2016 Clarry’s GSM is dark red-purple in color. The aromatics are amazing. There is a captivating display of vivid plum, rose florals, candy, spice and blackberry. Equally engaging is the medium bodied, full flavored palate. Juicy berries splash throughout the ripe and smooth palate. Intense pure fruit is the drive of this wine whilst fine supple tannins and mineral nuances add structure and complexity. A very lengthy finish completes this well-balanced GSM. Clarry's is an approachable, fruit-driven and opulent wine that is best enjoyed now or over the next five years.
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Wine Spectator
Juicy and vivid, with black tea accents to the core of spiced plum, black licorice and gunpowder flavors. Notes of smoke and spice linger on the dense finish. Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro. Drink now through 2029.
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Wine & Spirits
The Kalleske family farms and produces its wines under organic and biodynamic certification, which means they add nothing but a small amount of sulfur in the winemaking. We tasted one bottle that was oxidized, another that was fresh and bright, healthy and very Barossa. The good bottle started out with tarry scents, brightening as it filled out with air, incorporating all the cool, spicy grenache fruit into clean, gentle richness.
Other Vintages
2020-
Wine
Enthusiast
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James
Suckling
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James
Suckling
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Wilfred
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The vineyard is managed by Troy's father, fifth generation grapegrower, John Kalleske, who has over forty years experience tending the vineyard. The 100 acre vineyard is planted to Shiraz, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Semillon and Chenin Blanc. Vines vary in age with the oldest vineyard dating back to 1875 and an overall average vine age of about 50 years. The vineyard is low yielding and all grapes are grown organically.
There are five wines in the Kalleske range. Clarry’s Barossa White is a blend of Semillon and Chenin Blanc and its partner Clarry’s Barossa Red is a Grenache Shiraz blend. The Greenock Shiraz is a single vineyard wine, made from a superb Shiraz block on the Western edge of the Greenock Creek. The Old Vine Grenache is from a small dry-grown vineyard planted as bush vines on the Kalleske farm in 1935 and the Johann Georg Shiraz is made from a dry-grown vineyard planted on the farm in 1875.
All wines are estate grown and vinified with minimalistic winemaking techniques used to fully capture the essence of the vineyard allowing genuine hand made estate wines to be produced.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Historically and presently the most important wine-producing region of Australia, the Barossa Valley is set in the Barossa zone of South Australia, where more than half of the country’s wine is made. Because the climate is very hot and dry, vineyard managers work diligently to ensure grapes reach the perfect levels of phenolic ripeness.
The intense heat is ideal for plush, bold reds, particularly Shiraz on its own or Rhône Blends. Often Shiraz and Cabernet partner up for plump and powerful reds.
While much less prevalent, light-skinned varieties such as Riesling, Viognier or Semillon produce vibrant Barossa Valley whites.
Most of Australia’s largest wine producers are based here and Shiraz plantings date back as far as the 1850s or before. Many of them are dry farmed and bush trained, still offering less than one ton per acre of inky, intense, purple juice.