SEPTEMBER 2008

Tim Adams scores six in Oz Clarke's world Top 250

Oz Clarke, one of the world's most respected wine critics has included six wines from Tim Adams in his latest book, 250 Best Wines: Wine Buying Guide 2009, which was published in London this month.

Clarke's selected 41 Australian wines in his Top 250, including Tim Adams 2007 Semillon, Tim Adams 2005 The Aberfeldy Shiraz, Tim Adams 2007 Riesling, Tim Adams 2006 The Fergus, Tim Adams 2005 Cabernet and Tim Adams 2006 Reserve Tempranillo.

Here are Oz's comments of each of the wines:

Tim Adams 2007 Semillon

Come the hour, come the man. My choice of favourite wines just wouldn’t seem right without the latest vintage of Tim Adams' Semillon. And talk about not gouging on price. I looked back to my tastings of five years ago — the 2002 wine was magnificent, and it cost £8.99. A 21p increase in five years — the tax has gone up more than that. And not only is Tim’s new vintage something I relish every year, but each release is different, in the way that wines are supposed to reflect the conditions of the harvest, but frequently don't nowadays. Last year his 2005 Semillon was rich and exotic, humming with the industry of bees lapping nectar. This year the 2007 is a bright, joyful thing of beauty. It is scented with nectarine and apple leaf dabbed with confectioner's cream. And the flavour is lush and soft, the nectarine joined by cling peach, brazil nuts and blood orange acidity sprinkled with kitchen spice and cinnamon custard. Delicious now, it'll grow waxy and honeyed over the years.

Tim Adams 2005 The Aberfeldy Shiraz

The vines at Aberfeldy were planted in 1904. Here’s something that's made from vines planted only a couple of years after Queen Victoria died. The wine is made by Tim Adams, the guy who has probably been this guide’s most consistent high-quality contributor over the years. I'm shutting my eyes and concentrating — no, I can’t remember ever tasting a bad wine from this guy. And he has a very sensitive winemaking touch, which is crucial with such venerable vines — he draws out their essence rather than imposes his opinions. The essence is of rich plum, sweet red cherry, rosehips and spring blossom, a lush softness in a protective frame created by balance not fury, the creaminess of brazil nut flesh, the lick of Belgian milk chocolate, the wafting scent of toast. All the mellow beauty of old-vine Shiraz with none of the arrogant brutality that often nowadays accompanies it.

Tim Adams 2007 Riesling

Brilliant summer white, garden party white, but is so good and interesting that seafood and South-East Asian cuisine will be panting for it during the rest of the year. It’s such a pure flavour, crystalline lemon zest and cooking apple skin rolled in a cascade of bright dry pebbles, A hint of brioche and a suggestion of honey to come softens up its pithy, dry style without compromising its austerity.

Tim Adams 2006 The Fergus

The Fergus is a Tim Adams special based on century-old Grenache vines, but now adding Cabernet, Shiraz and Merlot to the blend. It isn’t quite so wild and eucalyptus-laden as it used to be, but the eucalyptus is still there, along with a sprig or two of mint. The fruit is lush raspberry and loganberry that will sweeten with a little age, and it is nicely tempered with a mix of stones and dusty cream.

Tim Adams 2005 Cabernet

Serious, balanced, rich Cabernet, marvellously dense, a perfect example of why Clare is such a special growing environment: the sun has ripened the grapes to their max, but the cool conditions have preserved a mouthwatering freshness. It still needs a few years' age, but if you like your reds thick and strong you can lay into it now. The mixture of leaf and blackcurrant in its smell is Bordeaux-like, and the dark blackcurrant fruit, lightened by mint yet hemmed in by tannin and acidity, is reminiscent of a young Pauillac. If that's not high praise, I don't know what is.

Tim Adams 2006 Reserve Tempranillo

Tim Adams has been threatening the world with this beauty for several years now. He'll ambush you at wine tastings and persuade you to follow him for a taste of his new baby. He’s a very big man with a very big hand, or, rather, fist-shake: he says follow, you follow. And each time I’ve seen his experimental Tempranillos, I’ve said, "Wow, when can we get some?". Well here it is. Tempranillo is one of the fastest-growing new varieties in Australia and it's clearly brilliantly suited to the coolish but sunny Clare Valley conditions. Tim has produced a wine that should be the role model for Tempranillo in Australia: its lovely dark fruit of scented loganberry and sweet sloes is brightened up with lime blossom and eucalyptus perfume and all of these flavours run right through the glyceriney and attractively tannic heart of the wine. Lovely now, it'll age beautifully.