Having migrated from Dorset in the south of England in 1878, the Pike family settled in the Adelaide Hills. ‘Pikes Dorset Brewery’ started making beer around 1886, before later moving into cordials and wine. The family purchased 27 hectares of prime viticultural land in the heart of the Polish Hill River sub-region of the Clare Valley in South Australia. Over time ‘Pikes Polish Hill River Estate’ grows to approximately 100 hectares of vineyard, home to 20 different grape varieties – their first wines were riesling. The distinctive pike fish emblem has been on the labels right from the start.
I have written recently about how the blend of two great varietals – Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah/Shiraz, seems to be something that ‘New World’ producers can really hang their hat on. In Europe it would be fairly unusual for the two great grapes of Bordeaux and Rhône to be bottled together – but it works – and it takes somewhere like Australia, with the associated freedom (from appellation rules) to plant anything anywhere and blend as you like, to fulfil the possibilities.
In Europe the place of Shiraz would typically be taken by Merlot to create ‘a Bordeaux blend’. Why? The two varietals complement each other as the Cabernet will take the lead, but often leaves “a doughnut effect” with its tastes and tannins all around the sides of your palate. Merlot – or here, Shiraz, fills that hole with delicious, softer fruit and texture. For Shiraz you can add peppery spice, a plushness of boysenberries plus a dash of mint to the list of attributes.
How’s the wine? Well – this is a fresh and vibrant expression of what we now think of as a classic Aussie red blend. Clare Valley often has fruit in the blue spectrum and a herbal brightness that gives a lighter, racy style. A bright dark ruby colour in the glass. The bouquet shows redcurrant, cherry, blueberry and cassis, with a bon-bon sweetness and jewel-like quality. The palate is medium bodied, driven by a keen line of acidity that brings the lovely, glossy fruit flavours to the fore. A fine balance of toasty oak and ripe tannin also gives a firm spine to the wine. Four years old, it is drinking well now, but you could certainly expect this to develop more complexity if cellared for a few more years. 91pts
