Wendouree is among Australia’s most sought after wines. This mythical Clare Valley estate has no website, no cellar door and they rarely answer the phone but do sometimes respond to letters.
The first vineyards were planted back in 1892/3 by the Birks family so we’re talking some seriously old vines here. The Birks’ owned the estate until 1974 when Tony & Lita Brady acquired it. Since then they have transformed the estate into a revolutionary yet classically Clare Valley institution. Roly Birks stayed on as winemaker until 1980.
Alfred Percy Birks ‘AP Birks’ and his brothers started planting in 1892 with a 0.2Ha block of Cabernet Sauvignon and then subsequent Birks generations planted a raft of different varieties; Shiraz in 1911 and more Cabernet in 1971, eventually ending up with 50Ha of vines in total.
95 Points The Wine Front
A wine that grew in glass substantially with time open. A more savoury expression. Firm and leaner that previous releases, but built for rock-solid cellaring, let’s say. Something guttural in it too. Very Wendouree, also.
It opens with that cornucopia of Aussie bushwalk scents of earth, trees, dried leaves, eucalyptus, with black cherry, lavender, brined black olive introduced late in the bouquet. Firm ribs of Italianate tannins tighten and give rails to more of the dark cherry flavours, alongside more brined black olive, dried green herbs. Texture is succulent, grippy from mid-palate to close; I love these tannins, and the finish is a swoosh of dark berry flavours, green-citrus acidity and strong, black bergamot tea. Power, edginess, savoury qualities, in a tightly wound wine. Impressive wine. Drink 2026 – 2050.