CLAYMORE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON SHIRAZ 2022

Gold Medal – Intercontinental Wine Challenge 2024

Full bodied, voluptuous and richly fruited Clare Valley Shiraz that is, as the name would suggest, dark as dark. This is no hold barred great drinking for lovers of the full on Clare Valley style. And if you are into the matching of wine and music, the power and brooding nuance of this wine makes it the perfect accompaniment to the Pink Floyd album of the same name.

Winery notes (2022 Vintage)
"Aromatic dark berries and black cherry fruits sit alongside subtle notes of aniseed, licorice root and spicy, smoky oak notes. This is a brightly attractive wine that shines with the immediate appeal of youth. That darkest of black cherry fruits continues in the mouth, sitting comfortably alongside notes of tart jam and berry coulis dark chocolate and white pepper. The tannins are gently drying and persist on the finish, carrying those primary fruit flavours into the back palate. While restrained in the mouth, held in check by balancing natural acid and those integrated tannins, there is a moreish appeal to the dark fruit and soft oak spice that indicates the promise of great things to come for this wine…if you can leave it alone long enough!"

Reviews for previous vintages below…

94/100 Ken Gargett, WinePilot.com, December 2023 (2021 Vintage)
"One always tries to taste without any idea of the price (not always as easy as you might think). So, when I later found out the cost of this wine, I had to check it three times. This is brilliant value. Dark magenta, this is a Clare Valley Shiraz from a top vintage, which is so beautifully crafted. Black cherries, aniseed, blackberries, spices, cloves and tobacco leaf notes, this is finely balanced, seamless, exhibiting such silky tannins and with real length. The oak contribution is well managed and nearly invisible. Drink over the next eight to ten years and no excuse for not filling the cellar. This is the best version of this wine I’ve seen."

5 Stars & 94/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, November 2022 (2021 Vintage)
"Beautifully aromatic and immediately appealing, the wine shows black/blueberry, toasted spice, hazelnut and subtle cocoa notes on the nose. The palate is equally satisfying with rich fruit intensity together with plush texture and fine-grained tannins, offering terrific drinking. At its best: now to 2033."

5 Stars & Best Shiraz, Yvonne Lorkin, Canvas "Top Wines of the Year Awards" October 2021 (2020 Vintage)
"This scary-good shiraz reminds me of my mate Vicky. Her nickname is “the Queen of Darkness”. She has hair as black as a serpent’s pupil, the bluntest fringe in the known universe and a mood as mysterious as whatever the O stands for on the label. She’s a lone wolf, endlessly hunting down stunning shiraz like this. Sourced from Claymore’s dry-farmed (non-irrigated), Clare Valley vineyards, this cocoa crammed, liquorice-laden, blackcurrant boosted example is impressively structured, with fine-grained, gorgeously grippy tannins and a smoky graphite core. Superb."

94/100 Halliday Wine Companion Top Value Selections 2022 (2020 Vintage)
"Matured in French oak for 14 months (10% new). 2020 was a compounded drought year in SA, and yielded wines of concentration and power. Dry-grown vineyards are at the forefront of yield reduction here. Blood plum, red licorice, blackberries, mulberries, raspberries and spice. This is a satisfying, dense and a compelling drink, especially at the price. Few places on the planet can achieve concentration in shiraz like South Australia can. It's very impressive."