High Scores for the Clairault Sauvignon Blanc Semillon

Wine critics are responding well to the Clairault Sauvignon Blanc Semillon from 2015. The wine showed promise late last year when it took home a gold medal from the Qantas Mt Barker Wine Show of WA, and has continued to receive positive reviews. It is currently available through Cellar Door, online and selected stockists.

  
2015 Clairault Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc Semillon
96/100 - James Halliday 2016

“Maximum return from high quality grapes, the region, and very good winemaking. The barrel ferment and Semillon inputs provide the framework for the melange of poached pear and yellow peach, lemony acidity running like a golden thread throughout. One of those wines causing you to regret having to spit out in tastings. Drink until 2020.”

 4.5 Stars - Top Drops with Tony Love

“The ubiquitous WA white blend here steers away from wilder tropical aromatics for a more considered stance, lovely spices lifting the white fruit profile. Has a delicious finish.”

 Gold Medal - Qantas Wine Show of Western Australia 2015
 4 Stars - Winewise Championship Tasting
 93/100 - Wine of the Week, Ray Jordan 2016
 91/100 - James Suckling + Nick Stock, www.jamessuckling.com

“A white with sliced apple and pear aromas and flavours. Full body, bright acidity and a clean aftertaste. Tangy. Showing hints of grass and green apple skin on the finish”

02/05/2016 at 6:52 PM Permalink

Winewise Championship Tasting of 2016

Winewise is based in Canberra and invites all gold medal-winning wines from regional and national wine shows to enter the championship tasting. Wines are judged by a stellar panel of winemakers, media commentators, retail trade people and the Winewise crew to decide the best of the best.

2015 Clairault Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc Semillon - 4 STARS

“Powerful gooseberry aroma and flavour…”

2014 Clairault Margaret River Chardonnay - 4.5 STARS

“A Chardonnay of considerable intensity backed up by a dash of classy French oak. It delivers considerable drinking enjoyment.”

23/03/2016 at 6:50 PM Permalink

Clairault & Streicker Wines Well-Received by Wine Critics James Suckling and Nick Stock

James Suckling is one of today’s leading wine critics, whose views are read and respected by wine lovers, serious wine collectors, and the wine trade worldwide. Nick Stock is one of Australia’s most prolific wine commentators whose involvements in wine stretches will beyond writing, to radio and television broadcasting, wine show judging, public speaking, educating and winemaking. The Margaret River Tasting Report can be found on JamesSuckling.com

2012 Streicker Ironstone Block Old Vine Chardonnay – 94/100

"Here is a chardonnay that delivers lots of depth and intensity. Full-bodied, layered and gorgeous. Super wine. Great vintage."

2013 Clairault Cellar Release Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc – 94/100

"A very plush, ripe and dense wine with terrific freshness on the nose and palate; pure and juicy, full of sapid appeal. The dark cherry flavors are super pure; blue plums too. Attractive oak treatment and a long, rich finish. Great wine. Drinking well already and for 8+ years."

2013 Clairault Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot – 92/100

"Lots of earth, spice and meat aromas and flavors. Full body, velvety tannins and a savory finish. Drink now."

2013 Streicker Bridgeland Block Sauvignon Blanc Semillon – 91/100

"A white with plenty of sliced lemon and lime aromas and flavors. An earthy undertone. Full body, bright acidity and a long and intense finish. Lots of character."

2015 Clairault Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc Semillon – 91/100

"A white with sliced apple and pear aromas and flavors. Full body, bright acidity and a clean aftertaste. Tangy. Showing hints of grass and green apple skin on the finish."

23/03/2016 at 6:49 PM Permalink

Blue-Gold & Top 100 Awards at Sydney International Wine Competition

The SIWC is a food-oriented wine show now in its 34th year of offering wine-lovers a free web-based ‘wines for food’ information service. The wines go through a three-phase blind-judging process, culminating in finalists being grouped together in food-friendly categories. These finalists are judged beside dishes of similar palate weight and individual judges’ comments are published on the website.

2014 Clairault Margaret River Chardonnay
Blue—Gold Award, Top 100 Wines

Judges’ Comments:

“An elegant complex wine with quite tight acidity. A very crisp Chablis style. Lovely texture and it went very well with the food” – Kym Milne, Chairman of Judges

“An oak dominant nose with fruit coming through on the palate. A hint of creaminess. Great balance with a touch of yeasty breadiness on the palate. A great match with the salmon and the creaminess of the wine marrying in well” – Brent Marris

“A toasty nutty spicy nose leads to a well-balanced palate which exhibits notes of white fruit toasty oak spice and nut which is cut by a fresh line of citrus acidity” – Jo Burzynska

“An effusive nose with ripe fruit influences of pawpaw and apple. Hints of cinnamon also seen on the nose. The palate shows lovely length of flavour. A restrained savoury style which married well with the food” – Ken Dobler

“Lovely lemon cashew perfumed aromas with some peach and apricot kernel. Textured with riper peach and nectarine flavours and a touch of honey suggesting some age. A great match with the food. A lovely wine” – Meg Brodtmann

2013 Clairault Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot
Blue—Gold Award

Judges’ Comments:
“Fresh bright fruit. Medium concentration. Elegant good fruit and balanced sweet oak...” – Kym Milne, Chairman of Judges

“A slightly herbal nose with hints of leafiness. Hints of floral coming through with green cane and oak on the finish. A lovely richness on the mid palate with subtle hints of chocolate. Well matched with the lamb giving the wine a lovely cigar box finish” – Brent Marris

“An elegant wine with fresh cassis fruit and a savoury undercurrent of fine tannins. Notes of freshly ground coffee and a bright fresh acid. It's a concentrated and beautifully harmonious wine” – Jo Burzynska

“A medium brick red colour. A wonderfully spicy nose with aromas of cherry and red berry with leafy nuances. A lovely mouth feel with excellent persistence of flavour. Ripe fruit flavours and well integrated tannins” – Ken Dobler

“Dark dense Cabernet family notes on the nose with cassis and red fruit. Dense dark fruit on the palate. The tannins are firm. Lifted and pure with the Cabernet flavours matching the lamb dish” – Warren Gibson

04/02/2016 at 6:45 PM Permalink

Clairault Wines Reviewed by 'The Wine Front'

The Wine Front is Australia’s oldest and most active review site. It keeps consumers ahead of the game by reviewing wines as they are released. It’s run by Campbell Mattinson, Gary Walsh and Mike Bennie.

2013 Clairault Cellar Release Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc received a score of 94/100 from Campbell Mattinson. 

“This is both a highly polished wine and a high quality one. It reeks of oak, fruit and class. Resin, cedar, blackcurrant, superfine (but assertive) tannin, and a sizeable push of curranty fruit to close. There are cut grass and bay leaf/gumnut characters too, but mostly you would describe this wine, simply, as seamless.”

94 / 100  

Campbell Mattinson

Is the Editor/Publisher of The Wine Front and the Editor of James Halliday’s Wine Companion magazine. Until recently he was the SUNDAY Magazine wine columnist. He won the Best Australian Sports Writing Award in 1996, an Independent Young Writer of the Year Award in 1995, and the Wine Press Club Wine Communicator Award in both 2005 and 2007. He was the founding editor of Australian Sommelier Magazine.

In 2006 he released the book Wine Hunter: The Man Who Changed Australian Wine, a biography of the Hunter Valley winemaking legend Maurice O’Shea (published by Hachette Australia). The book won the NSW Wine Press Club Wine Communicator Award and was described by James Halliday as “one of the most remarkable wine books to ever come my way”. He’s also published Why the French Hate US: The Real Story of Australian Wine and The Big Red Wine Book (Hardie Grant, 2008, 2009, 2010).

04/02/2016 at 6:42 PM Permalink

Streicker Wines Reviewed by 'The Wine Front'

The Wine Front is Australia’s oldest and most active review site. It keeps consumers ahead of the game by reviewing wines as they are released. It’s run by Campbell Mattinson, Gary Walsh and Mike Bennie.

2012 Streicker Bridgeland Block Syrah received a score of 93/100 from 'The Wine Front'

“The back label text, which isn’t long, uses the phrase “yada yada” four times, which is a pretty decent effort. Suggests, heaven forbid, we have a winery with a sense of humour on our hands.

The wine is good. Light-ish, but good. Savoury and peppery as much as fruity, a touch smoky and herbal, tannic but in an integrated way. The mid palate is a succulent place to settle into, and while it’s mostly red berried there’s a (welcome) hint of liquorice. It’s a lovely wine to drink. Fragrant. Pretty. Yada yada”.

Campbell Mattinson

Is the Editor/Publisher of The Wine Front and the Editor of James Halliday’s Wine Companion magazine. Until recently he was the SUNDAY Magazine wine columnist. He won the Best Australian Sports Writing Award in 1996, an Independent Young Writer of the Year Award in 1995, and the Wine Press Club Wine Communicator Award in both 2005 and 2007. He was the founding editor of Australian Sommelier Magazine.

In 2006 he released the book Wine Hunter: The Man Who Changed Australian Wine, a biography of the Hunter Valley winemaking legend Maurice O’Shea (published by Hachette Australia). The book won the NSW Wine Press Club Wine Communicator Award and was described by James Halliday as “one of the most remarkable wine books to ever come my way”. He’s also published Why the French Hate US: The Real Story of Australian Wine and The Big Red Wine Book (Hardie Grant, 2008, 2009, 2010).

04/02/2016 at 6:33 PM Permalink

International Trophy & Gold Medal at Decanter Asia Wine Awards!

We would like to thank Decanter as well as our long term partner in Asia, Watsons Wines, who have already greatly assisted in developing and promoting our wines in these markets. 

We have always sought to bring the most out of its fruit's natural gifts through the winemaking process, with minimal intervention. This philosophy has led to wines of unmistakable quality, recognised as such with accolades, both at home and abroad. 

Winemaking truly begins in the vineyard and we have abundant water catchments, beautiful undulating landscapes, naturally biodiverse bushland and, most importantly, soil that is exceptionally well-suited to premium viticultural use. Longstanding biological sustainable farming practises have shaped our properties, contributing to the health of the vineyards and the quality of the fruit which continues to surpass itself.

ABOUT DAWA 
Now in its 4th year, the Decanter Asia Wine Awards (DAWA) is Asia's leading and most trusted wine competition. Judged by Asia's top wine experts, the DAWA is trusted for its rigorous judging process. The judges taste wines individually, with knowledge of their region and style. They then compare notes and reach a consensus on each wine’s medal. Wines awarded a Gold or Silver medal are retasted by one of the Vice-Chairs for his or her confirmation.

Regional Trophies 
All the Gold medal-winning wines within each region are divided into categories according to style or grape variety. These wines are then retasted by Vice-Chairs who award a Regional Trophy to the best wine in each category. A Regional Trophy will only be awarded if the panel believes a wine’s quality merits such an award.

International Trophies
All Regional Trophy winners are then split into categories according to grape variety or style. The top wines from each region are then pitted against each other to win the DAWA's ultimate accolades: The International Trophies. These are decided in a separate tasting judged by our Chairman, Steven Spurrier, and our Vice-Chairs, Gerard Basset OBE MS MW, Andrew Jefford, Michael Hill-Smith MW, Shinya Tasaki, Li Demei and Ch'ng Poh Tiong.  

Full results will be published online on 5th October 2015. Visit: www.decanterchina.com/en/  

15/09/2015 at 6:30 PM Permalink

Clairault scores highly in James Halliday's Wine Companion 2016 Edition

Clairault is proud to announce results from the 2016 Halliday Wine Companion.

5 Red Star James Halliday Rating = Outstanding winery regularly producing wines of exemplary quality and typicity. Will have at least two wines rated at 94 points or above, and had a five-star rating for the previous two years. Top 4.9%

95 / 100   Clairault Estate Margaret River Chardonnay 2013
“A beautiful wine. Not in any way overdone. Pear, grapefruit and white peach flavours melt into blanched almonds and wood spice. It’s charming in a pristine way; it finishes long.” Drink by 2020
 
93 / 100  Clairault Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2013  * Special value star! 
“Well balanced, textured and flavoured. Blackcurrant, bay leaf and spiced chocolate notes reach to all corners of the mouth. Tannin stretches the fingers out that extra bit further, nothing overdone; all about composure.” Drink by 2025
 
93 / 100   Clairault Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2013  * Special value star! 
“Deep colour and flavour, chocolate, blackcurrant, gravel and eucalypt notes run seductively through the palate, smooth-textured throughout and them dry and firm to close. Opens up attractively as it breathes in the glass, smoothing out further as it does so.” Drink by 2024
 
93 / 100   Clairault Margaret River Chardonnay 2013 * Special value star! 
“Margaret River chardonnay writ large. Sunny but well focused, Sweet of both oak and fruit but offset by smoky, sulphide-derived characters. Gets the balance right and then finishes with good persistence. Has some weight but feels zippy.” Drink by 2019
 
93 / 100   Clairault Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2014  *Special value star! 
“Doesn’t put a foot wrong. Trademark thistle/gravel characters laced through juicy tropical fruit. Maintains just the right amount of tension throughout and finishes with good persistence.” Drink by 2017
 
93 / 100   Clairault Cellar Release Margaret River Petit Verdot 2012 
“One to enter in the irresistibility stakes. It’s all plush, violetty, cassis-like fruit flavour, supple and full bodied. It has other flavours but that generous ball of red/black berries flavour is the key. Floral notes are a bonus. Drink by 2021
 
90 / 100  Clairault Cellar Release Margaret River Cane Cut Riesling 2013“Intensity to the finish elevates it. Flavours are in the lime and grapefruit spectrum, the lusciousness coming from an intense, syrupy sweetness. Simples pleasures but intense flavour. 375ml.” Drink by 2017
 

Read more on his site: http://www.winecompanion.com.au/ 

29/07/2015 at 6:24 PM Permalink