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Clonakilla are one of our nation's most eminent vineyard wineries, a tiny production operation, established by a CSIRO scientist at Murrumbateman, very near Canberra. It turned out to be a fortuitous planting, with a climate not dissimilar to Bordeaux and northern Rhone, the Clonakilla property now occupies a rank next to the mighty Grange on the prestigious Exceptional Langtons Classification, it yields vintages of Australia's most invaluable Shiraz. At $26.99, the estate's entry level belies its stature and excellence within the pantheon of great Australian wine, an essential experience this week for all enthusiasts, a canny choice for shrewd and judicious aspirants of elite new world Shiraz... Here's what our most picky pundits prefer»
Medical practitioners are conspicuously over representedas proprietors, within the pantheon of Australia's most artisanal boutique vineyards and baronial winemaking estates.Is it really all about the quest for a healthy mind and healthy body, or rather something more visceral and indulgent that our physicians are practising?The chemists at Claymore have chosen to formulate their range of elixirs according to a taxonomy of remedial refrains.Santana's Black Magic Woman conjures up edifications of a brooding Cabernet Sauvignon. The Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon whets the palate for an opaque, cryptic Shiraz.A canon of unchained melodies, all from the fruit of some spectacular Clare Valley vineyards, palatable and poised, endowed withlayers of complexity, undulating in perfect cadence, supported by the strains of melodious violin oak and long, languid cello notes of fine, cultivated.. Completely in concert with clare»

Knappstein Shillings Classic Clare 2011 CONFIRM 2011 VINTAGE

Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Clare Valley South Australia
Twelve shillings were the average weekly wage paid to miners in the Clare Valley, back in the days when Knappstein wineworks were the Enterprise Brewery, circa late 1800s. As one of Australia's most eminent wine growing regions, the Clare Valley's warm dry days and crisp, clear nights stimulate the vines, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz have taken famously to the favourable conditions. Enter Shillings, an assemblage of the two noble red varietal grapes in the quintessential Australian red wine style, endowed with the distinctive softness of Clare Valley.
Parcels of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz are delivered to the winery after a harvest determined by a regimen of visits and taste tests by the winemaking team amongst the vines. The fruit must taste good in the vineyard before its ready to make wine. Bunches are destemmed and the berries are split through the crusher. The must is pumped to tank for a spell of maceration and inoculation with select yeasts followed by a temperature controlled vinification. A routine of pumpovers is employed to achieve good colour, aid in flavour development and build tannin structure. After a gentle pressing, the wine is transferred to a selection of fine oak barrels for maturation before assemblage, filtration and bottling.
Deep garnet in colour. A rich, complex bouquet of red berries and cocoa, spices and plum, redolent with dark fruit aromas. This full bodied wine showcases rich red plum, blackberry and black currant flavours underscored by a hint of cassis. Its velvety textures are framed by delicate oak nuances while finishing long and dry. A youthful approachable style that would be a superb accompaniement to grilled meats and pasta, gourmet pizzas or cheese.
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Knappstein
Knappstein is one of the most recognisable and popular Clare Valley wineries

Knappstein are a small producer of premium quality wines, who manage their own vineyards. Redeveloped around the historic Enterprise Brewery building at the heart of Clare township, and deeply connected to the community and cultural life of Clare. The Knappstein name has been involved in the wine business in Clare since 1895. The winery was originally founded by Tim Knappstein as Enterprise Wines, a name utilised for the premium Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard and thus honouring the Knappstein heritage as early winemakers connected with Clare for well over 100 years.

Knappstein

The Clare Valley lies 130km north of Adelaide and 60km east of the Gulf St. Vincent perched high amid the North Mount Lofty Ranges. As one of Australia's longest established regions, with plantings by the Jesuits dating back to 1851, the Clare Valley is also one of the most defined regions in terms of climate, geology, soils, varieties, viticultural techniques and quality of wine.

The north / south oriented Clare Valley is approximately 40km long and 14km wide with the bottom of the valley lying at about 250 metres above sea level and its eastern escarpment rising to over 580 metres. As a result significant differences exist between vineyards in their altitude, latitude and individual topography. The latter is reflected in many mesmerising contour vineyards which most clearly depict this unique region.

Over the past 20 years the Knappstein winemakers have developed an almost intuitive understanding of the Clare Valley. Central to the understanding of the affinity certain grape varieties have with the region, are the efforts over the past 10 years to ensure a natural environment under which the vines can find their innate balance. Hand pruning of all the vines, and hand picking of the delicate varieties have been obvious choices for the winemakers. A more subtle environmental choice has been the planting of permanent rye grass between rows. This has not only eliminated unnecessary compaction of the ground by plough machinery and prevented the erosion of the unique mosaic of soils, but also caused distinct changes in the meso-climate.

Knappstein

The winery's decision to un-graft some Chardonnay in preference of its 30 year old Shiraz rootstock was an unfashionable choice in the 1990s. By allowing the vines to find their natural balance, Knappstein has best been able to understand the quality and characteristics of the different sites. Of these, three 30 year old vineyards have excelled with unique characteristics and calibre for their respective variety.

In 1971, Knappstein's Ackland Vineyard was planted at the cool altitudes of 420-450 metres overlooking nearby Watervale township. Its east and north-east facing aspect protects the vines from the prevailing winds off the Great Southern Ocean. Thus whilst capturing the full morning sun to develop strong lime and citrus flavours the high natural acids are greatly enhanced by the cold night-time temperatures of this altitude. The slate and shaley rock abundant in the Ackland vineyard soils play a crucial role in the aromatic development of the Riesling, whilst the delicate floral nuances are unique to the handful of vineyards within this Watervale area. Further north on a slightly warmer site, located on the Clare Valley's famous Terra Rosa soils over limestone, is Knappstein's Enterprise Vineyard. The low-yielding Cabernet vines of this vineyard bear fruit with incredibly bold concentration of flavour, distinctive mint-eucalypt flavours with fine natural tannins and striking acidity derived from the iron rich soils and the limestone geology. Planted in 1969, the calibre and typicity of the vineyard has shone through consistently over time, and now is the source of the Knappstein Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. This vineyard has produced all the Enterprise Cabernet Sauvignon since 1974.

"Knappstein Lenswood Vineyards is now the sole (and full-time) occupation of Tim and Annie Knappstein, Tim Knappstein having retired from the winery which bears his name in the Clare Valley, and having sold most of the Clare vineyards to Petaluma (along with the wine business). With 25.5 hectares of close-planted, vertically trained vineyards maintained to the exacting standards of Tim Knappstein, the business will undoubtedly add to the reputation of the Adelaide Hills as an ultra-premium area!" -James Halliday

Knappstein