The Taylor family has been involved with the Clare Valley for almost seventy years, ever since Bill Taylor and Bill Taylor Senior, leading figures in Sydney’s hospitality industry as well as acting as a wine merchant, arranged for a local Co-op to bottle wines under the Chateau Clare label for the family. It led Bill to look at returning to the land but this time, as a winemaker himself. After an extensive search, the Clare Valley was selected as the best possible site.

This was a time of fortified dominance, but Bill enjoyed the great reds from the Old World, especially Bordeaux, and was keen to head down that track. And so, as the family is fond of pointing out, on the same day in July 1969 as Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, Bill Taylor set foot on his new property. The mission was great Cabernet and extensive vineyards were planted. One small step for the family but a giant one for the Australian wine industry.

Bill’s vision and spirit have been recognised, not only through the continuing success of the Taylors wines, but in the production of wines acknowledging his efforts, the Visionary and the Pioneer.Mitchell Taylor, Bill’s eldest son, has now been the Managing Director of the operation for almost a quarter of a century and has led significant expansion and the recognition of their wines among Australia’s elite. If you doubt that, I suggest a look at their latest annual release of their top wines. A superb collection and surely the best we have seen from them. That said, they come as no surprise. Their trajectory has very much been on the up for some time.

A year before Mitchell took the reins, in 1999, Adam Eggins was brought in as Taylor’s Chief Winemaker. He has proved a resounding success – anyone knowing Adam back in the early days never doubted that he would be – and is still in that position. The wines have never looked better.

Today, the range is much expanded from the then ubiquitous Cabernet, the inevitable Clare Riesling and their small supporting cast. An extensive range now exists, but it is at the pointy end where things get exciting. For many years, the St Andrews collection was the very pinnacle. Now, just under it, we have the Masterstroke reds and some of these are thrilling indeed.

Above St Andrews, we now have the Visionary Clare Cabernet Sauvignon, the latest being the 2018 which is the eighth release; and the Pioneer Shiraz, the latest which is also the 2018, the sixth release. Above these sits The Legacy with a price tag not dissimilar to Penfold’s Grange and Henschke Hill of Grace. When we start tippy-toeing around this rarified air, it is much more a question of personal taste – Grange, Hill of Grace or The Legacy? 

Well, the Taylors team have cleverly sidestepped the question. Their history revolves so much around Cabernet and Bordeaux blend styles that this is the route they have taken, avoiding direct comparison with our two most famous wines. As for anyone buying it, I understand that previous releases have sold out, so that gives a rather emphatic answer to its popularity. Only around 1,000 bottles are made, so if you want to see what the fuss is about, move quickly.

Finally, Taylors have long been known for their sponsorships – Project Seahorse is a current example – and especially with rugby. For many years, Taylors supported the Australian rugby team, the Wallabies. In fact, Mitchell has been known to suggest that if not for rugby, who knows if Taylors would even exist. It was rugby which took Bill to Sydney from where he developed the wine merchant business. Today, some might even say that Mitchell has seen the light and switched support from the Wallabies to the Queensland Reds, a definite step up!

St Andrews Clare Valley Riesling 2024 ($45)
It is early days but it is starting to look like 2024 will be another thrilling vintage in regions like the Clare Valley, matching legendary years like 2021 and 2022. This cracking Riesling is certainly showing every indication that some wonderful wines are in store for us. The colour here is near transparent, the palest lemon. The nose gives us glacéd limes, crystalline notes, spices, chalky touches and wet stones with that gorgeous Clare citrus and lemon characters to the fore. A real minerally texture here, this is taut, poised and tight, with exceptional balance. Very long, with intensity maintained for the full journey. Like this so much. For those who prefer their Clare Riesling with some age, this will easily give you ten to twenty years in the cellar. Stellar Riesling and anyone who is a fan of that grape, needs this in their cellar. 96 (KG)

Super pale in colour, this 2024 single vineyard Riesling opens up with powerful lime and chalky aromas with an exotic floral lift. Well composed and focussed, it then delivers with juicy freshness and a generous stony finish. 93 Points Drink 2026-2034 (AH)

St Andrews Clare Valley Riesling 2020 ($45)
The 2020 vintage may not have received the accolades of some of those we have enjoyed in recent years but don’t dismiss it. There are plenty of superb wines which have emerged from it and a few extra years has allowed this fine Clare Riesling to build a little extra complexity and to show early signs of those wonderful developed characters the region can offer.A pale straw hue here, the nose exhibits some luscious Riesling flavours with citrus dominant, lemon curd, florals, a hint of honeycomb and lemon butter on toast. Tight in structure, a wine of medium length and good focus. Certainly a good future. Expect four to eight years, likely considerably longer. 93 (KG)

St Andrews Clare Valley Chardonnay 2022 ($45)
From a superb Clare vintage, this shows the evolution of Chardonnay at Taylors. 100% fermentation in French oak – 20% new – and subsequent maturation for fourteen months. A wine which has won far more than its fair share of golden bling.Lemon/straw hue, this is a richly flavoured Chardonnay with good oak integration still evident with cinnamon and nutmeg notes. Winelovers who enjoyed that old fashioned style of big, hearty Chardies will certainly find much to love here, but this has come a long way from those days. The aromas swirl around nuts, peaches, stonefruit, figs and ginger. Good intensity and power with serious length, good balance and lingering finish. The intensity lasts the full journey. There is room for this to improve even further. Drink over the next four to six years. 93 (KG)

This well pitched 2022 Chardonnay is a crowd pleaser with rich and vibrant aromas of peach and nectarine fruit with a strong yet balanced serve of oak. It then settles into a savoury groove with a silky core of citrus and crushed nuts which holds through to an attractive finish. 92 Points – Drink 2024-2028 (AH)

St Andrews Clare Valley Shiraz 2021 ($75)
Fermentation here was in American oak, with four weeks post-ferment on skins and a year and a half maturing in that oak, both new and one-year-old.An inky maroon colour, there is finesse and elegance evident, a seamless structure. Black cherries, licorice, blackberries, florals and bruised plums. There is good focus here, richness but also balance and direction. Juicy acidity with very good length. It will provide pleasure for at least the next six to twelve years and there is room to improve over that time. 95 (KG)

This exceptional 2021 Clare Valley Shiraz is the full package as it delivers expansive aromas of black olive, blackberry and dried herbs to provide a compelling start. It then builds more savoury layers of meaty, peppery flavour underpinned by rich veins of al-dente tannins through to a strong finish. Great value. 95 Points Drink 2028-2040 (AH) 

St Andrews Clare Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 ($75)
The Cabernet has a year and a half in fine-grained French oak, 30% new, 30% one-year-old and the remainder in a combination of two and three-year-old barrels. Another in the stable adorned with endless gold bling.

This is a deep red/garnet. There are notes of spices, blueberries, cassis and cranberries. Showing good oak integration, the wine has focus and notes of dried herbs and dark fruits emerging on the palate. A firm, tannic finish with a good line of acidity. Well balanced, this will impress over the next six to ten years. 94 (KG)

This wine is defined by the 2020 vintage with its heavy-set aromas of blackberry and licorice with a fine seam of cedar. A dense and chewy overall feel with roasted flavours lacking little in freshness suggests it will be best enjoyed sooner rather than later. 90 Points Drink 2024-2030 (AH)

Masterstroke Cabernet Shiraz Clare Valley 2018 ($60)
Of all the red wines in the latest release, this was, in many ways, the most exciting – certainly the best value. It is a cracker and deserves a place in every cellar. A superb example of the great Aussie red blend. Two years in fine-grained French oak barriques, a mix of new and older. The truckload of gold medals suggests that its glories have not gone unnoticed.A dark maroon colour, there are notes of chocolate, warm earth, cloves, aniseed, soy and beef stock. Excellent concentration, with power, balance and length are supported by fine silky tannins, lots of them, but everything is perfectly in place and it is already showing exciting complexity. A wine which deserves that old description, an iron fist in a velvet glove. Give it time in glass, or in the cellar, and you will be well rewarded. This is a stunner. Drink for twelve to fifteen years. 97 (KG)

This quite chunky 2018 Cabernet Shiraz blend has opened up nicely showing some complex aged cedar and cigar box over a core of sweet fruit. Firm and drying, there is also a good generosity of flavour and well handled tannins that will see it hold well over the next five to ten years. 92 Points Drink 2025-2032 (AH)

Masterstroke Cabernet Sauvignon Coonawarra 2021 ($60)
A superb vintage in Coonawarra and the wine reveals all the glories – vintage, region and variety. Sixteen months in tight-grained French oak, a mix of new and two and three-year-old barrels.Inky magenta, the nose gives us notes of coffee beans, dried herbs, chocolate, aniseed and blackberries. Early austerity in keeping with what we would expect/hope displayed by fine, firm tannins while the palate sees the emergence of licorice and blackcurrants, a bright line of acidity and impressive balance plus really good length. This is an exemplary Coonawarra Cab in every way with such potential. Drink for eight to fifteen years. 93 (KG)

This traditionally styled 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon opens up with perfumed cassis and choc mint aromas which are classic, refined and pure. It’s then quite robust thanks to a core of deep seated tannins which currently partially obscure the fruit. Give this some time to show its best. 93 Points Drink 2027-2035 (AH)

Masterstroke Shiraz McLaren Vale 2021 ($60)
An utterly delicious McLaren Vale Shiraz. The wine spent time, sixteen months, maturing in a mix of French and American oak, 20% new.

The colour is a vibrant maroon. The nose gives us aromas of espresso, licorice, blackberries, soy and black cherries. This is a powerfully and richly flavoured Shiraz with good concentration and a slightly tannic style. The palate sees notes of cassis, mocha and coffee beans with very good length and a future which should see the wine provide pleasure over the next fifteen to twenty years. Like this a lot. 95 (KG)

This crowd pleasing 2021 Shiraz delivers a rich array of plush aromas with dark chocolate laced with fruits of the forrest. Quite seductive with its supple frame and mouthfilling flavour, the tannins open knit making for a wine that is ready to enjoy. 91 Points Drink 2024-2029 (AH)

The Visionary Cabernet Sauvignon Clare Valley 2018 ($220)
A wonderful Clare Cabernet from a vintage fast becoming a local legend. The team make this from what they consider to be an exceptional parcel of grapes. Maturation was in a combination of French oak, barriques and hogsheads, half new and half one-year-old. After a year, a barrel selection was made and the wine selected went back into barrel for another year. There was a further four years in the cellars before release, allowing more complexity to build. Deep maroon hue, the nose exhibits spices, dark berries, black cherries, hints of red fruits, warm earth and dried herbs. The wine has focus, direction and concentration being taut and poised with an intense opening, but overall, is well balanced and the flavours are carried the full length supported by fine yet sleek tannins with notes of smoked meats on the palate. Excellent length too and a future for at least a good eight to sixteen years. 95 (KG)

The Pioneer Shiraz Clare Valley 2018 ($220)
The sixth vintage of this cracking Clare Shiraz, from a wonderful vintage. Maturation was in fine-grained French oak, new and older, for a year before the team selected the very best barrels. The wine was then returned to the barrels for a further twelve months. The fruit originally came from a parcel that qualifies as exceptional by the team.

An inky dark maroon. The nose is expressive with hints of chocolate, black fruits, delicatessen meats, florals, coffee beans, bacon fat and plums. The wine is bright and fresh, focused and with good balance with an appealing energy and seriously impressive length. There is good grip here, but everything is in place. A future of twelve to fifteen years, possibly more, and there is room for the wine to show further improvement. 96 (KG)

This 2018 Shiraz delivers impressive power and purity while retaining youthful vitality and composure with even aromas of blackberry, earth and chocolate. Excellent structure to follow with firm tannins woven into a rich bed of flavour, and a charming savoury kick to finish. A very good aging proposition. 93 Points Drink 2026-2035 (AH)

The Legacy Cabernet Sauvignon Clare Valley 2017 ($1000)
The absolute pinnacle of the Taylors range, this is Cabernet to the fore. The wine also has a considerable contribution from Merlot and 2% is Cabernet Franc. After fermentation, there was extended skin contact and then three years maturation in the best oak available – fine-grained French oak in a cool, temperature controlled cellar. A deep garnet/red. The wine is quite fleshy and there is also some age evident, along with the ever-increasing complexity. Spices, coffee grinds, dark berries, cassis, smoked meats, beefstock, soy and cloves. A supple and succulent texture follows, with good concentration, fine silky tannins, bright acidity and excellent length with the intensity maintained throughout. This will provide pleasure over the next eight to fifteen years. 97 (KG)