Appellation Australia

Fast Facts: Country: Australia Region: Clare Valley, South Australia Winemaker: Caroline Dunn Variety: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot Closure: Screwcap RRP: $19 AU

Some readers may have been wondering if I was going to get around to reviewing some red wines. I assure you that I will, in due course review a balanced mix of red and white, it’s just that on the 40+ degrees Celsius (104+ Fahrenheit) days that we have been having recently, I have not felt inclined to pop the cork on too many reds. As the days grow cooler, more reds will be reviewed.

Read on to find out more about this wine from an exceptional Clare Valley vintage.

2002 was an exceptional year for wines from the Clare Valley, with a cooler than usual summer and a warm, dry Autumn. I’ve tried some Riesling and Cabernet from the Clare Valley from this vintage and it has been, in general superb.

I’ve found that in vintages that have proven to be excellent, some of the less expensive wines rise above their usual quality and deliver something special for the price.

A little bit about the winery: Established in 1854 by Francis Treloar (and known at that time as Quelltaler), this is one of the oldest wineries in the Watervale region of Clare Valley (with the town only having been founded in 1848).

This winery is known for producing reasonably priced wines, with most falling under the $20 RRP mark (and can usually be found for under $15 with not too much effort).

The story of the name is as follows: “Annie Wayman was a legend in the Clare Valley. She could always be relied upon to bring along sandwiches and a warm drink to harvesters and pruners in the vineyard, at the turn of the century. One evening Annie’s horse and cart got bogged in a lane adjacent to one of the valley’s best vineyards. Thus, Annie’s Lane was born.”.

This company also produces a premium label branded as “Quelltaler Estate”.

Website: http://www.annieslane.com.au/
Email: cellardoor@annieslane.com.au

Tasting Note:

A deep violet in colour. Berries and a small hint of cassis on the nose. My impression upon tasting was that it was a beautifully smooth wine with the Merlot component obviously lending a helping hand. Currants, berries and what I thought was a bit of plum also came through on the palate. Extremely well integrated French oak.

Score: A fine example of what a great vintage can do for a wine that is usually middle of the range. 88 points with a value rating of Excellent.

See “How to interpret my scores” for an explanation of how the above scores were reached.