James Halliday's 2019 Wine Companion Results

Each year, James Halliday and his team taste through thousands of Australian wines to produce the Wine Companion, essential reading for anyone interested in wine and a much-awaited scorecard for wineries.

Clairault | Streicker Wines have received a 5-red star rating for another year! This rating indicates an outstanding winery regularly producing wines of exemplary quality and typicity.

Top-rated wines for the 2019 edition include:

2015 Streicker Nysa
95/100

66.67% cabernet franc, 33.33% cabernet sauvignon, hand-picked, destemmed and gently crushed, cool-fermented for 14 days, matured in French barriques (50% new) for 18 months. As expected, the cabernet franc gives the wine a distinctive aroma, almost, but not quite, pungent, its lighter structure also contributing much to the open face of the wine. The finish is at once both spicy and juicy, driven by flavours, not tannins. The way the wine has soaked up the new French oak is exceptional.
This is a new flagship wine for the Streicker range. Due for release October 2018. Join our mailing list for updates.

2016 Streicker Bridgeland Block Sauvignon Blanc Semillon
95/100, Special Value star

64.54% sauvignon blanc, 35.46% semillon, hand-picked, cold-crushed, fermented in French barriques (33% new), matured for 9 months. Meticulous vinification achieves the desired explosive flavours of lemon skin, zest and juice in a single, mouthwatering stream of flavours. Natural acidity, preserved by preventing mlf, is a constant companion through to the extremely long finish and aftertaste.
Due for release January 2019. Current release can be found here.

2016 Clairault Estate Chardonnay
96/100, Special Value star

Hand-picked, chilled, whole-bunch pressed, fermented in French barriques (40% new), matured on lees for 9 months. A wine of rare purity, intensity and length. Grapefruit is the dominant flavour, white peach and Granny Smith apple adding to the complexity. French oak plays its all-important role in providing structure and texture, its flavour unimportant. Drink to 2028
Due for release October 2018. Current release can be found here.

The full list of results for Clairault | Streicker Wines can be found here.