O’Leary Walker Claire Reserve Shiraz 2024
- 96
- $120
- Drink by: 2026-2044
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Polish Hill River – the higher, cooler part of the Clare Valley noted for Riesling, also plays an important role in producing equally extraordinary Shiraz. “Claire” is one such extraordinary Shiraz, an old vine beauty of a Shiraz: dense, deep and dark. Deepest purple hues. Black and purple fruits, high spice, dark pepper, dark chocolate, earth and a light cedary nuance. Plush fruit and spices come together on the middle palate but overall Claire is built firm, almost linear, with the promise that this is very much a wine to age. Its intentions are clear and well-defined by firm, dry-edged tannins. The slate-sandstone soils of Polish Hill River give rise to a mineral bright texture. A total of 24 months in new and seasoned French oak is taken in and carried with balance. Vinous complexity writ large.
Jeni Port is one of Australia’s top wine communicators. Based in Melbourne, Jeni created the first wine column in the (then) Sun News-Pictorial before moving over to The Age and becoming that paper’s longest-serving wine writer. Over the years she has written for most Australian wine magazines and these days calls WinePilot home. She is also a Tasting Panel member on the Halliday Wine Companion. She was named Wine Communicator of the Year and Legend of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in 2014 and in 2018 Legend of the Vine. She is a founding board member of Australian Women In Wine and is the co-deputy chair of Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards and China’s Wine List of the Year Awards.
