Description
Winemaker Adam Barton after working for Scarpantoni (McLaren Vale), Rolf Binder (Barossa), Wynns Coonawarra Estate and iconic Bonny Doon (California) wasted no time to complete a winemaking degree at Adelaide University. Atlas Wines began on a 26-acre block of land, a vineyard planted with Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, on the eastern slopes of the Clare Valley. The year was 2007. Adam Barton and Amy Lane made an investment in Clare and an investment in their future. Their vision for Atlas was pretty simple: to produce great wine from the highest-quality fruit from vineyards with exceptional provenance. Adam has come to understand the complexity and diversity of the Clare Valley, and how the unique characteristics of different sites produce fruit with distinctive qualities. It’s these qualities that they have sought to express through the wines they have made. As such, the Atlas house style is a carefully composed mosaic of the region. It is a true boutique producer. The red wines, sourced primarily from White Hut in the north and Leasingham in the south, are elegant yet powerful, and well structured; the whites, sourced from several sites at Watervale are finely structured, aromatic and pure.
Not surprising James Halliday rated them a 5 Red Star Winery saying “...The quality of the wines is extraordinarily good and extraordinarily consistent.”
About this wine from the winemaker: “The fruit for this wine was grown at the Hill Smith Vineyard at Woodside in the Adelaide Hills. The east-facing site sits at an elevation of approximately 400 metres and is underpinned by a complex mix of alluvial loam, limestone, shale, and quartz soils. The 2023 growing season delivered near-perfect conditions, resulting in a truly exceptional vintage for this distinctive site.
“Our philosophy was to honour the vineyard and allow the fruit to speak for itself, rather than shaping it into a preconceived style. Grapes were hand-picked and whole bunch pressed, with the juice transferred straight from the press to French oak puncheons for wild fermentation on full solids. Post ferment, the barrels were topped, no malolactic fermentation was carried out and lees stirred for 9 months to enhance texture, depth, and complexity prior to blending and bottling.
“Pale straw in colour, this wine opens with lifted aromas of white peach, quince, lemon, and grapefruit, complemented by subtle hints of vanilla and oak spice. The palate is refined and elegant offering flavours of white peach and citrus zest balanced by creamy lees texture, fine acidity and smoky, nutty oak complexity. The finish is crisp, refreshing, and beautifully balanced.”
93 points, Katrina Butler, Halliday Wine Companion “The sun was shining on the day I tasted this wine, and the feeling mirrored itself in my glass. Spring florals, zesty lemon and lime, threads of crushed quartz, grapefruit and green apple. It’s still tightly wound, and time will help to placate its vigour. A lovely release built on the vibrancy and ‘clean-as-a-whistle’ foundation that this estate is known for.”
92 points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front “From the Hill-Smith vineyard in Woodside, sitting at 400 metres above sea level. This wine really came together with a bit of extra air. White peach, grapefruit, a little struck match, some spicy ginger biscuit oak and mint. It’s tight and grapefruity, but also has some cheesy richness in the mix, fresh pineapple and stone fruit, quite flinty, with a savoury and tangy finish of good length. It’s had some work done, so to speak, but it’s a nice wine all up.”
RRP $35 Our Special Price $27.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine.
