2017 Thorn-Clarke Wines Eden Trail Shiraz Eden Valley Australia 750 ml

The 94-point, $20 Thorn-Clarke Eden Trail Shiraz might be considered an exception to the rule in some places, but here at Wine Access it’s the rule of thumb: Thorn-Clarke is an overachiever in every sense, and this delivers six generations worth of winemaking tradition in an exceedingly vibrant cool-climate Shiraz. 

We first tasted the Eden Trail Shiraz last summer at a barbecue (read: wine party) at a friend’s house in Napa. There were heavy-hitting bottles from all over the world competing for our attention (we practically forgot to eat) but none captivated us like this one. On the nose, blackberry and boysenberry layered with graphite, cracked pepper, and kola-nut leapt from the glass with incredible energy. As Australia’s preeminent critic James Halliday wrote, “the bright fruit is juicy and ripe with no hint of jamminess, and there's a feeling of liveliness and buoyancy on the palate.” While retaining classic varietal boldness and depth, here was an Australian Shiraz delivering elegance as well. We were in love. 

More research revealed that Robert Parker had been a fan for years, writing, “I had loved [Thorn Clarke] values when I was covering Australia…Like a number of producers in South Australia, the quality here is extremely high and the prices very consumer-friendly.” 

When the Thorn family struck gold in the Barossa Valley’s Lady Alice mine nearly 150 years ago, they could have had no idea that their legacy would be written not in precious metal, but in some of the most remarkable wine in Australia. With nearly a century and a half of hindsight, however, it all makes perfect sense: A family dynasty born from a fascination with geology, of course, led to the cultivation of some of the finest terroirs in the Barossa.

Today, David and Cheryl Clarke (née Thorn), their daughter Nicole, and son Sam represent the fifth and sixth generations to tend this land. Their holdings stretch across the two subzones of Barossa from the hotter Barossa Valley in the west, to the eastern, cool-climate region of Eden Valley, where Eden Trail Shiraz is grown. Here, at Thorn-Clark’s Milton Park Vineyard—just a few minutes from Henschke’s Hill of Grace, one of the most venerated vineyards in the world—hillside Shiraz plantings retain vibrant acidity and deliver an impeccable balance of fruit and savory flavors. 

The Clarkes’ devotion to sustainable farming carrying on the family legacy of respecting and expressing this magnificent piece of the Barossa has resulted in one of the most remarkable values we’ve offered—and tasted—in a long time. Next to a chargrilled ribeye (bone-in, of course), the Thorn-Clarke is like heaven.