Wine of the week: an opinionated shiraz from the Clare Valley

Tim Adams and his wife Pam set up their eponymous winery in the idyllic Clare Valley in 1987. This is the year I started working in the wine business and I remember selling (and loving) an Adams & Wray shiraz, from Tim’s previous wine venture. I have known “Bonecrusher Adams” (he has a mighty handshake) and his amazing wines for every day of my life in the wine trade.

You might have come across Tim and Pam’s iconic and affordable wines in Tesco – they have been a mainstay on its shelves. Adams’s wine has been championed in the UK by mercurial wine agent Craig Smith, who has masterminded the fortunes of a good few Aussie wine heroes over the decades by placing them on all of the right wine lists.

Last year Craig and Tim set up a UK arm to sell directly to his adoring British public and two amazing wines have just been launched on this website. Schaefer Shiraz is the personification of Tim’s irascible, magnetic and steadfast character, in vinous form. Inky, powerful and blessed with 12 months spent in new French oak, this is a focused and opinionated wine with the most affordable price tags I have ever seen for a wine of this build-quality.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

In addition, 2018 Tim Adams Skilly Ridge Riesling (£16) will remind you of Tim’s magical touch with this sensational variety, too. Open, layered, violet and lime blossom scented and enchanting, this magnificent white is the perfect counterpoint to the heady, luxurious shiraz.

2014 Tim Adams, Schaefer Shiraz, Clare Valley, South Australia – £20; timadamswines.co.uk

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com)

This article was originally published in MoneyWeek