Wednesday Wines – Episode 227 – Three terrific new releases from Kalleske
Affordable and Unexpected
Kalleske wines are stocked by –
Ivy Wines (e) 01243 377 883 (w) www.pdnwines.com
2022 Kalleske, Clarry’s GSM, Barossa Valley, South Australia £24.13
Clarry’s is named in honour of Tony and Troy Kalleske’s Grandfather, Clarence ‘Clarry’ Kalleske, who farmed the Kalleske vineyards from the late 1920s until his retirement in the 1990s. Clarry’s is a blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro, with grapes harvested from over a dozen blocks, each with different soil types and vine ages. The oldest Grenache vines date back to 1940 with remaining vines varying in age up to fifty years old. I have been a massive fan of Clarry’s since I first came across these wines nearly three decades ago. The 2004 vintage made it into the 2006 edition of my 100 Best Australian Wines Report. This stunning, newly released 2022 vintage is as evocative, pure and perfumed as ever. Even though this is a succulent, indulgent red, there is wonderful freshness and purity with rhubarb and raspberry notes mingling with more intense black fruit. The oak is kept perfectly under control (very old hogsheads for only six months), and it is clear that the organic and biodynamic fruit used here is pristinely vibrant and expressive. Drinking now but with ten years in the tank, ’22 Clarry’s has the demeanour of a grand wine and the price tag of an everyday treat!
2023 Kalleske, Zeitgeist Shiraz, Barossa Valley, South Australia £26.81
Zeitgeist is a certified organic Shiraz that is wild fermented on skins, and then it utilises no oak whatsoever. There is a tongue-in-cheek nod to trendies and hipsters with this intentionally hands-off style of winemaking, and while it is certainly a break from the Kalleske tradition, it really works! Elemental, delicious, dark but not heavy, there is so much drive and momentum on the palate it keeps you guessing. There is an Italianate feel about the shape of the palate that encourages the drinker to revisit the glass at a decent tempo, and you cannot say that about many Barossa Shirazes!
2022 Kalleske, Fordson Zinfandel, Barossa Valley, South Australia £26.81
I must admit I didn’t know that Kalleske made a Zin, and I was understandably curious and somewhat sceptical about its fortunes. So, and you know what’s coming, it is an utterly delicious wine and, like the other two, the price is incredible. Of course, I cannot compare this wine to anything other than Californian Zinfandel, which, on the whole, is a rather unwieldy and high-octane style of wine. Fordson is much brighter and more engaging with pinpoint, accurate blueberry and spice warehouse notes, and it is gorgeously silky and refreshing. Drawn from a single vineyard and given the lightest kiss of old oak, this is a modern, magnetic style for those who love to broaden their horizons. I would not hesitate to put this on the table next to any Zin you can think of because it will hold its head high!