Paisley Wines Celtic Clurichaun Mataro 2018

May I begin by saying that I have no idea about marketing, but I must say that it would never have occurred to me that it was a good idea to call a wine ‘Clurichaun’. Not something that rolls off the tongue for the poor sod aiming to impress on a first date. Still, as I said, I know nothing about this. The reason is that a Clurichaun is apparently, and I am not making this up, a bad tempered cousin of the Leprechaun (hands up all those of us who had no idea that a Leprechaun even had relatives). Clurichuans live in wine cellars around Ireland (so they are a long way from home in the Barossa). Be kind to a Clurichaun and he will look after your wines. Otherwise, he is going to have a very good time at your expense.

The Mataro here is from the southern end of the Barossa. Small batch fermentation with occasional hand plunging, a percentage of whole bunches are included, extended time on lees, twenty months maturation in oak (a quarter of which is fine grained French, the rest older and more neutral).  Opaque maroon, we have generous black fruits on the nose. A most approachable style, big and bold, with notes of chocolate, coffee grinds, leather, cherry and mocha. This is a carnivore’s delight. Plushness runs the full length, through to soft and silky tannins. A very fine example of Mataro, a grape better known for its role as a blender. Drink now for six to eight years.

Ken Gargett

Contributor at Winepilot

Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.

Wine writer and critic