vintage 2021 at Thorn-Clarke will long be remembered as an all-time classic

Rarely does a vintage produce both outstanding quality and a good volume of crop but this year we struck the winemaking jackpot. A very long, growing season and kind weather set us up for what could be the best overall vintage this century.

the growing season

Good rainfall in Autumn 2020 gave the vines a great start going into the growing season. With good soil moisture, the vines flowered well, and had good fruit set. The Barossa is well known for our chilly mornings so when spring arrives each year, we hope that above anything else, we dodge the dreaded frosts. One frost event can wipe out a patch of vineyard in a few hours, so when we made it through without damage, we thanked our lucky stars.

Along with dodging frosts, the wind and heat also stayed at bay and the vines headed into summer in the best condition possible. When the vines are happy and balanced as there were this year, it signals that the fruit will also follow the trend with clean ferments and balanced fruit flavour and structure. With mild temperatures throughout, the long growing season gave all varieties a chance to ripen at their own pace, evenly and with great flavour maturity. 

2021 whites

Chardonnay, Riesling, and Pinot Gris from Eden Valley show exceptional purity of fruit and a great natural balance. Riesling and Pinot Gris in particular, have a lip-smacking brightness that will leave a lasting impression on anyone lucky enough to enjoy a glass.

2021 reds

Red varieties from across our Barossa vineyards will be regarded as classics when they are released. During harvest, we could see just how intense and inky colours were, when the harvesters and bins were stained with inky red purples from the berries. Vibrant but dense fruit aromas are apparent on the nose, with underlying spice, pepper and dark chocolate notes. The palates of these beauties show incredible richness, with long even tannins and great balance.

our top tip

A truly legendary vintage comes along rarely, so when you see the 2021 wines hit the shelves, jump on in and give them a try. You won’t be disappointed.

Peter Kelly, Thorn-Clarke Chief Winemaker