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A Story Etched in Stone – The Legacy of James Goddard
Our Shotfire range pays respect to one of the Thorn-Clarke ancestors: James Goddard, who discovered the Barossa’s first gold mine. In that mine, the ‘shotfirer’ had the unenviable job of setting and lighting an explosive charge in a bold attempt to expose a vein of gold (and hopefully not bury the shotfirer…)
Essentially Barossan in style, each wine in this range exhibits a rich, deep charge of flavours that will make you feel like you've struck gold!
The Clarke family's roots in the Barossa began with a fascinating forebear named James Goddard. Born in West Sussex, England in 1823, James filled his 74 years on earth as a sailor, a whaler, a bullock driver, farmer, prospector, miner and hotelkeeper. From an illiterate runaway living rough on the streets of London, he became a rich, successful and admired pillar of South Australian society.
Arriving in Adelaide in 1839 as a 16-year-old sailor, he grew up chancing his arm at various pursuits. But news of gold finds in 1851 changed his life – and ours – forever. For the next 20 years, James roamed the country learning the geology that improved the chances of prospecting.
In 1870, he tried his luck in the Barossa Valley and discovered the region’s first gold deposits. His Lady Alice Mine prospered, financing a hotel nearby that established a family connection with the region that’s lasted over 150 years.
But where’s the Clarke connection? It was James’ daughter, Ruth, who married a man named Frederic Clarke. And so a link with geology started its course through our genes, including both the man who co-founded our winery and the man who now runs it.
Two Families Merge and an Idea is Born
The union of Cheryl Thorn and David Clarke brought two Barossa families together. But, at first, vines weren’t part of their plan. History destined David to become a highly successful mining geologist whilst Cheryl stepped away from her grape growing heritage to raise two children - Sam & Nicole. However, David was uneasy about the boom/ bust nature of his business and Cheryl yearned to get back to the land. What they both longed for was a hobby project.
So, what better than something that applied their combined experience of geology and viticulture? Anything else, it would seem, as the government was sponsoring Australian growers to pull vines out to overcome a perceived oversupply in the 1980s.
Relishing the perversity (and a gamble, like his great-great-grandad Goddard) David used his training to test soils and buy up land around the Barossa. To avoid undue interest, these activities were even sometimes conducted under car headlights. By dead of night, a plan came to life.
In 1987, David and Cheryl Clarke bought their first property, Kabininge, near Tanunda. The family started to plant vines and it could all have ended right there. As the baby vines grew, David and Cheryl’s kids, Sam and Nicole, were conscripted to help water, prune and pick, all by hand. These were the hard yards.
This is when Cheryl took charge and called in her family, the Thorns. Her father, Ron, and her brothers soon had the vineyard in premium condition, and it started to bear fruit - very good fruit, in fact - a tribute to David’s site selection and the Thorns’ vineyard management.
For over 10 years, the vineyards developed a fine reputation and the fruit was sold to neighbouring winemakers, who turned it into award-winning wines. This was pleasing, but hardly fulfilling.
The leap of faith was taken with the 1998 vintage - small batches of Shiraz were made through to wine - and so began the Thorn-Clarke story.
Today, led by Sam Clarke, Thorn-Clarke Wines remains a 100% family-owned producer with 6 generations of grape growing and geological heritage.

The Return of a Legend
Some wines are more than just a drink; they’re a memory, a moment, a story in a glass. In the early 2000s, Shotfire Shiraz became one of Thorn-Clarke’s most celebrated wines, instantly recognisable by its bold label and even bolder Barossa character. Now, we invite you to revisit the legend with the2021 Shotfire Collectors Heritage Edition Shiraz, featuring the original nostalgic label that started it all.
This is more than a vintage. It’s a tribute.
This 2021 vintage carries all the hallmarks that made Shotfire Shiraz a household name:
Rich, dark fruit and layers of black cherry, plum, and spice;
Seamless oak integration delivering notes of vanilla and dark chocolate; and
A bold yet refined structure - unmistakably Barossa, undeniably Shotfire.
It’s a wine that speaks to long-time fans who remember their first bottle, their first vintage, their first love affair with Shiraz. And it’s a wine for a new generation discovering what makes Barossa Shiraz, and Thorn-Clarke, so timeless.
Limited Release. Unlimited Emotion.
We’ve unearthed a piece of our past, and it’s ready to be shared again - with those who were there from the beginning, and those just joining the journey.
