Crabtree Watervale Tempranillo 2009

Crabtree Watervale Wines was founded in 1849. The original homestead, which now serves as the cellar door, is heritage listed. English born Robert Crabtree purchased the property in 1984 and built a small modern winery, reconditioned the listed homestead and upgraded much of the vineyard. He was responsible for the more recent plantings of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, and Riesling.

"The versatility of the terroir of the Clare is on full parade here. Unlike many New World attempts, there's no mistaking this wine for a shiraz, thanks to its honed structure, bitter dark chocolate notes and restrained, textured finish."  Tyson Stelzer

"Tempranillo is the great grape of Rioja and Navarra in north central Spain - a land of harsh grandeur, and very comparable to the climate of Clare, and when the opportunity arose to acquire some Tempranillo rootlings from Clare Valley Vine Improvement Society, I jumped at the chance. They seem to have taken to their new surroundings very well and are fulfilling all the promise we optimistically believed in.

The 2009 is our seventh offering of this variety, and I like to think that each new release has been a positive step forward from the previous one. The wine was fermented in small two-tonne open fermenters and was basket pressed, and aged in old and new (15%) French oak for six months.

The wine shows the classic Tempranillo character of savoury cherry fruit, along with lovely, slightly floral aromas and characters, with raspberries coming through on the palate. With each year of vine maturity we are getting increasing depth of flavour from the fruit, and as per our previous vintages, we think the wine is an excellent match with a good quality pizza; our favourite food to have with this wine."  Crabtree

Expert reviews

"The versatility of the terroir of the Clare is on full parade here. Unlike many New World attempts, there's no mistaking this wine for a shiraz, thanks to its honed structure, bitter dark chocolate notes and restrained, textured finish."  Tyson Stelzer, Gourmet Traveller Wine – Wines for the Boot

"Bright colour; from estate plantings in '99 and '03, open-fermented, basket pressed and French oak matured for six months; has layers of red and black cherries, a pinch of spice and controlled tannins. Screwcap. 14% alc. Drink Now."  James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion - 90 points

About the winery

The Crabtree Watervale Wines estate was founded in 1849. The original homestead, which now serves as the cellar door, is heritage listed. The estate, originally a well-respected orchard, was purchased by the Glaetzer family in the 1930s. They were largely responsible for the planting of the vineyards as they are today. Surviving vines from the 1940s still provide premium fruit for Crabtree estate wines.

English born Robert Crabtree purchased the property in 1984 and built a small modern winery, He reconditioned the homestead and upgraded much of the vineyard. He was responsible for the more recent plantings of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, and Riesling. Robert's vision was to develop a wine business modeled on the famous French Burgundy estates that are renowned for their wines that truly reflect the terroir of the site.

In 2007, after 23 years at the helm of Crabtree, Robert sold the property to the current owners Richard and Jason Cane.