Streicker Ironstone Block Old Vine Chardonnay 2020 Awarded Top Score of 97-Points at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2023

 

The Streicker Ironstone Block Old Vine Chardonnay 2020 scored 97-Points, the highest score awarded, at one of the world’s largest and most influential wine competitions.
 
The 97-Points score and Platinum Medal places the wine within the top 175 of 18,250 wines of all varietals and styles dged from 57 countries.
 
Within this, it placed within 23 chardonnays from around the world, and one of 7 from across Australia.
 
The 2023 competition saw an influential troupe of 236 wine experts, including 53 Masters of Wine and 16 Master Sommeliers, come together from 30 nations.
 
Feedback from the judges,
“Ripe and fragrant, rich and fresh with savoury tidy conveyance. Very refined style with a pleasant fruit profile on the palate. Toasted nutty oak prevails with attractive lemon aftertaste.”
 

About the Decanter World Wine Awards 2023
The 20th edition of Decanter World Wine Awards saw 18,250 wines judged from 57 countries with the following results: 50 Best in Show, 125 Platinum, 705 Gold, 5,568 Silver and 8,161 Bronze medals.

The 2023 competition saw an influential troupe of 236 wine experts, including 53 Masters of Wine and 16 Master Sommeliers, come together from 30 nations. With over 100 overseas judges and talented regional specialists focused on what’s in the glass, DWWA results offer consumers and trade a trustworthy guide to the dynamic world of wine.
 
Find more information on Decanter World Wine Awards 2023 here.

 

Now Available

The Streicker Ironstone Block Old Vine Chardonnay 2020 is a single vineyard wine made from hand harvested fruit from our Ironstone Vineyard.

It is currently available to purchase on our website for $50.00 a bottle.

Cellar Club members receive this wine at $40.00 a bottle and free delivery.

Nick Stock reviews our wines for JamesSuckling.com

Recently Nick Stock visited the Margaret River region and tasted over 500 bottles for James Suckling.com. We were lucky enough to have a selection of our Clairault and Streicker Wines reviewed and all were met with very positive feedback. Many of the wines listed are currently available in our Online Shop Here.

Read through Executive Editor Nick Stock's scores of our wines and tasting notes below...

Clairault Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River Wilyabrup Estate 2016
Score: 93 Points
17 Mar, 2020 – There’s an air of cedary oak and an almost tarry edge to the red berries and blueberries with sage, gun smoke and bay leaf, too. The palate has a very succulent feel with impressively juicy, spicy berries, wrapped in sturdy, smooth-honed and fresh tannins. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

Clairault Estate Chardonnay Margaret River Estate 2017
Score: 92 Points
20 Mar, 2020 – Some toasty and flinty complexity here with a grilled-peach and lemon nose, leading to a palate that has a wealth of savory, peach-kernel and spiced-almond flavors. Drink now. Screw cap.

Clairault Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Margaret River 2019
Score: 92 Points
18 Mar, 2020 – Super pure, upbeat and fresh aromas of peaches, lemons and mangoes lead to a palate that has such juicy, vibrant and smooth-honed style. Delicious peaches and lemons and some pears to close. Drink now. Screw cap.

Clairault Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River 2017
Score: 92 Points
17 Mar, 2020 – This has aromas of brambly ripe dark berries and plums that intersect with cedar, leaves and cocoa powder. The palate has such smooth, fluid tannins and delivers ripe dark-berry flavors in abundance. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

Streicker Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River Ironstone Block Old Vine 2014
Score: 92 Points
17 Mar, 2020 – This slightly older cabernet has developed such attractive earthy and leafy aromas, across the blueberries and blackcurrants. Plenty of herbal kick and tobacco, too. The palate is delivered in such smooth layers of flavor-soaked tannin. Blueberry and plum flavors abound here. So long and fluid. Drink or hold. Screw cap. 

Streicker Sauvignon Blanc Margaret River Bridgeland Block Fumé Blanc 2018
Score: 92 Points
18 Mar, 2020 – This has very attractively fresh aromas of guava and spiced lime curd, as well as lemon butter. The palate has freshness with a gently creamy, plush textural build. Spicy finish. Drink in the next four years. Screw cap.

Streicker Pinot Noir Margaret River Bridgeland Block 2018
Score: 91 Points
16 Mar, 2020 – Attractive red berries and a gently leafy, sappy and herbal edge make for appealing pinot. The palate has fine-grained tannins and a fresh red-berry core with bright, crunchy acidity delivering a lively finish. Drink now. Screw cap.

Streicker Chardonnay Margaret River Ironstone Block Old Vine 2017
Score: 91 Points
20 Mar, 2020 – This has a vibrant, fresh and upbeat stone-fruit nose with plenty of fleshy, lightly tangy peaches on the palate. Drink now. Screw cap.

Halley & Lex Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River 2017
Score: 91 Points
17 Mar, 2020 – Attractive violets and fresh purple berries abound here with a very juicy array of fine, sweetly ripe tannin, delivering rich, mulberry and blackcurrant flavors in approachable mode. Drink now. Screw cap.

Streicker Syrah Margaret River Bridgeland Block 2014
Score: 90 Points
20 Mar, 2020 – This shows some savory development with dark, toasted spices, bacon fat and dried red plums. Some earthy notes, too. The palate has a spice, mocha and meat thread with plenty of ripe dark berries. Sleek tannins. Still fresh at the finish. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

Streicker Chenin Blanc Margaret River Ironstone Block 2017
Score: 90 Points
19 Mar, 2020 – An attractive, lemon-centered style with a little toasty edge adding interest, as well as some flinty notes. The palate has a fine, juicy and elegant feel with smooth, supple, fleshy build. Drink now. Screw cap.

Clairault Chardonnay Margaret River 2018
Score: 89 Points
20 Mar, 2020 – The bright, fresh melon and peaches here are appealing with a smooth and easygoing, fresh-peach palate. Drink now. Screw cap.

If you'd like to read more results from the Margaret River tasting by Nick Stock, you can subscribe to JamesSuckling.com here.

 

Halliday 2020 Wine Companion Results

Clairault Streicker Wines continue their 5 red star streak in the 2020 Wine Companion. This rating indicates an outstanding winery regularly producing wines of exemplary quality and typicity.

It was the whites that took the big wins for 2020.

The Clairault Estate Chardonnay 2017 rated highly, with a score of 95/100 and notes including “…it all feels completely natural and unforced.” 

The Streicker Bridgeland Block Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2017 was a winner with “a winning combination of intensity and length of flavour with penetrating acidity” – 95 Points & Special Value Star. - To be released.

Another great value result that’s currently available is the Clairault Margaret River SBS 2018 which scored 94/100 and a Special Value Star. 

Clairault Estate Chardonnay 2017
Hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed. Barrel ferment in 40% new French barriques, aged in oak for 9 months with batonnage. This brims with aromas of grapefruit and white stone fruit enhanced by nutty oak complexity, the palate replete with long and lively citrus-tinged flavours and creaminess of texture. It all feels completely natural and unforced.
95/100

Streicker Bridgeland Block Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2017
90/10%, blend. Hand-picked fruit, cold-settled juice, fermented and aged for 9 months in French barriques, one-third new. Highly aromatic, with lifted characters of passionfruit, snowpea and gooseberry jumping out of the glass. Juicy and textural on the palate, there’s a winning combination of intensity and length of flavour with penetrating acidity.
95/100 & Special Value Star

Streicker Ironstone Block Old Vine Chardonnay 2016
Barrel-fermented, 33% going through mlf. Aged for 9 months in oak with fortnightly batonnage. The barrel work has made its statement on the bouquet, with aromas of struck match, flint, and grilled nuts as prominent as the peach and green apple varietal influence. Ripe and textural on the palate with lingering, grapefruit-like acidity. Very good now, better in time.
95/100 

Clairault Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2018
Around 80/20% in the blend. A riot of varietal aromas on the the bouquet, with snow pea, gooseberry and passionfruit (amongst others) all jostling for attention. The 20% barrel ferment component comes through on the palate, providing dimension to the mouthfeel, that being enhanced by lees ageing also. It finishes with fresh, juicy acidity.
94/100 & Special Value Star

Clairault Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
About 5% cabernet franc included in the blend. Aged for 18 months in French barriques, 50% new. A perfect snapshot of the regional-varietal nexus, with blackcurrant, black olive, bay leaf and cedar providing unmistakable markers. This release is supple and approachable as a relatively young wine, with quite gentle tannin. Further ageing will confer complexity.
94/100

Streicker Ironstone Block Old Vine Chardonnay 2017
Fruit from the Ironstone Vineyard at Wilyabrup. Similar vinification to the Estate Chardonnay, except one-third of the barrels underwent mlf. Seems to lack the freshness and drive of its Estate stable mate, although the malo has contributed to the texture and complexity. The fruit source is different of course, and it might just need more time to really come into its own.
94/100 

Clairault Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
As ever, rock solid Margaret River cabernet, ticking the boxes for all the right regional and varietal qualities as it goes along. Just on the full side of medium-bodied, the flavours of cassis and cedar build on the palate, escorted along by the fine but firmish tannin that rolls on through the finish to linger in the aftertaste. Enjoyable now or for years to come.
93/100

Streicker Ironstone Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Hand-picked, destemmed with gentle crushing, ferment finished in oak. Aged in 45% new French barriques for 18 months. Cassis-like fruit is the dominant character in this wine, the most obvious character on the bouquet and palate, the oak adding some cedary, pipe-tobacco complexity. It’s dense and flavoursome, with its best days ahead, no doubt.
93/100 

Clairault Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2017
Cabernet at around 77%, merlot 20%, the balance petit verdot. Cool, slow ferment, aged in French oak for 10 months. Pronounced leafiness on the bouquet, with regional bay leaf and varietal characters perhaps accentuated by the cool ferment, ‘80’s-like. Black olive and cedar also in the mix. A good wine with high quality fruit evident, but it is in a certain style.
92/100 & Special Value Star

Streicker Bridgeland Block Rosé 2018
100% shiraz, crushed and cold pressed immediately to minimise extraction. Low temperature ferment in barrel. Pale salmon-pink in colour with aromas of redcurrant and watermelon. Quite full in texture on the palate as shiraz roses tend to be, that accentuated by the time in oak no doubt. A long, gently persistent finish provides the necessary balance.
92/100

See the full summary of results here.

3 Things to do at Clairault | Streicker Estate This Long Weekend

With sunshine tickling ‘round the edges of the day it becomes so much easier for you to plan a long weekend down south. Make sure you leave room in your itinerary for a visit to Clairault | Streicker Estate and tick these three things off your to-do list:

 

#1 Book in for a Long Lunch with wine matching.

Try some of the delicious dishes from the new spring menu, each one carefully matched with Clairault and Streicker wines. 

 

#2 Be the first to taste the new release 2016 Clairault Estate Chardonnay.

Visit the Clairault | Streicker Cellar Door and taste the Estate Chardonnay, rated 96/100 by James Halliday in the 2019 Wine Companion.

 

#3 Did you know Proteas can survive up to two weeks without water?

Visit Clairault | Streicker Estate and collect a bunch of new season proteas! Grown just down the road at our Yallingup Protea Farm, you can be sure the flowers are local, in season, and will last the car trip home.

 

Clairault | Streicker Estate is open 7 days, from 10am until 5pm. You can make a booking for our café here or give us a call on 08 9755 6225.

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Vineyard update from viticulturalist, Chris Gillmore:

It’s back to a real winter this season. Consistent wet and stormy weather has filled up ground water and dams. Our seasonal workers from Tonga returned for their fourth year of pruning and managed to finish a fortnight earlier than usual. The cold, wet weather delayed budburst, though it’s gaining momentum now – excellent news for the next vintage of your favourite Clairault and Streicker wines!

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TROPHY awarded for Best White Blend at Sydney Royal Show - read on for more details

Shop your favourite Clairault wines

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How to get your favourite wines delivered to your door for FREE!

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Clairault SBS wins a trophy!

The 2017 Clairault Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc Semillon has taken home the top prize for Best White Blend at the 2018 KPMG Sydney Royal Wine Show, ahead of a strong field of wines from across the country.

The Sydney Royal Wine Show, established in 1822, attracted an unprecedented 2,200 entries for this year’s competition and awarded 34 trophies across 66 classes. In the three classes eligible for the Best White Blend trophy, only three gold medals were awarded.

The Liquorland Perpetual Trophy for Best White Blend was first awarded in 1986.

Blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon have long been pillars of Margaret River winemaking and show judges noted that, ‘the best wine shows freshness and balance’. General Manager of Clairault | Streicker Wines, Angela Gosden, said the wine, “is a great expression of Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon blends. Wine enthusiasts really enjoy the clean, fruit-driven palate and find that this wine goes so well with the enviable lifestyle of the region”.

This is the first time the Clairault Sauvignon Blanc Semillon has won a trophy since John Streicker purchased the vineyard in 2012. He’s pleased with the result and noted, “the award is a tribute to the history of the Margaret River region and the dedication of our team”.

The 2017 Clairault Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc Semillon can be tasted at Clairault | Streicker Estate, on Caves Road in Margaret River. The Cellar Door is open seven days a week from 10am to 5pm. The wines are available for purchase through the website and at selected wine stores. For more information please call +61 8 9755 6225.

Estate Chardonnay is an Excellent Example

Christina Pickard, reviewer with Wine Enthusiast had this to say about the 2014 Clairault Estate Chardonnay.

Pale gold, almost green tinged, this is is an excellent example of why Margaret River excels at Chardonnay. It's complex, with notes of lemon zest, orange peel, butter and exotic spices that last all the way through to the finish. It's rich with a chalky texture and is age worthy, with enough acidity to take it long into the future. Drink now–2027.

 

James Halliday's 2018 Wine Companion Results

The results for James Halliday's 2018 Wine Companion were released following the Qantas EpiQure Awards Dinner on Wednesday night.

Clairault | Streicker retained its red five-star rating for wineries that regularly produce wines of exemplary quality and typicity.

Clairault and Streicker wines were rated highly with nine out of 12 wines scoring 95 points or higher, including the 2015 Clairault Estate Chardonnay (96/100, Special Value Star) and the 2013 Streicker Ironstone Block Old Vine Chardonnay (96/100).

Clairault: Margaret River Winery of the Year

 Clairault was awarded ‘Margaret River Winery of the Year’ at the recent New York International Wine Competition. The NYIWC began in 2011 and features a judging panel of retail store buyers, sommeliers, hoteliers and importers. Wines are judged based on category and price and are awarded in line with what customers buy.

Other awards for Clairault wines include the following:

GOLD—Clairault Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

GOLD—Clairault Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

GOLD—Clairault Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2014

Bronze—Clairault Estate Chardonnay 2014

 

Streicker also received accolades, taking out 'Margaret River Rose of the Year'.

Streicker: Margaret River Rosé of the Year

The 2016 Streicker Bridgeland Block Rosé was awarded 'Margaret River Rosé of the Year' at the recent New York International Wine Competition. The NYIWC began in 2011 and features a judging panel of retail store buyers, sommeliers, hoteliers and importers. Wines are judged based on category and price and are awarded in line with what customers buy.

Other awards for Streicker include:

GOLD—Streicker Bridgeland Block Rose 2016

SILVER—Streicker Ironstone Block old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

SILVER—Streicker Ironstone Block Old Vine Chardonnay 2013

 

Clairault was also awarded, taking home 'Margaret River Winery of the Year'.

Clairault & Streicker Wines Awarded at International Show

Clairault and Streicker Wines Successful at Decanter World Wine Awards.

The 2014 Streicker Bridgeland Block Syrah took home a silver medal at the recent Decanter World Wine Awards, held in London.

Four other wines were also awarded medals at the prestigious international show.

Other medals awarded are as follows:

Bronze - Clairault Margaret River Chardonnay 2015

Bronze - Clairault Estate Chardonnay 2015

Bronze - Streicker Ironstone Block Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Bronze - Streicker Ironstone Block Old Vine Chardonnay 2014