Background: Clarry’s Barossa White is named in honour of winemaker, Troy Kalleske’s, eighty six year old Grandfather, Clarence “Clarry” Kalleske, who farmed the Kalleske vineyards from the late 1920s until his retirement in the 1990s. Clarry was the fourth generation member to tend the vines on the Kalleske family farm, established by his great grandparents who migrated from Prussia to South Australia in 1838 aboard the Prince George. Many years were spent by Clarry pruning, hand-picking and nurturing the vineyards that make up the blend.

Winemaking: Clarry’s Barossa White is a blend from two vineyards, Semillon and Chenin Blanc, both growing along the banks of the Greenock Creek on the Kalleske farm. The soil of both vineyards is shallow sand with clay subsoil. Following the cool night harvesting of the Chenin Blanc and morning hand-picking of the Semillon, the grapes are crushed, pressed and the juice immediately cooled to retain the fresh fruit vibrancy. The juice is cold settled for forty-eight hours followed by a cool fermentation with light grape solids incorporated for added complexity. The wine is bottled shortly after fermentation to fully capture the freshness of the grapes and is sealed with a screw cap to retain maximum vibrancy.

Growing Season: The 2006 growing season was interesting and diverse and can’t be summed up as either cool, hot, wet or dry as it was all of these in one! Spring and early Summer were extremely wet and windy and this was then followed in mid January by the biggest heat wave since the 1940s. Fortunately this heat was early enough in the season to not be detrimental. After this heat, cooler conditions prevailed to the end of Summer. Another warm and dry period in early Autumn helped the grapes ripen and mature good flavours. Cool, wet conditions prevailed late in the season resulting in vibrant fresh fruit flavours being retained and predominating in the grapes.

A 50/50 blend of Chenin Blanc and Semillon, this is no fashion victim, just a reliable balanced drink that draws on the Kalleske family’s resource of top notch Barossa vineyard. Bright, lifted honeysuckle and tropical fruits make for attractive drinking, spliced with gentle grass and freshly cut herbs, then laced back together with subtle leesy complexity. The palate mixes lemon drop, stone fruits and tropical notes in a balanced medium-bodied package with plenty of flavour, enough flesh to sink your teeth into and a crisp fresh finish. … Nick Stock, Sumptuous, Autumn 2007

It's big on aroma and the mouthfeel is just about perfect – it's fruity and soft and bites on the finish, holding it together. It's a blend of semillon and chenin blanc, and frankly I wish that I had some more bottles of it, because this would be a winner in just about any crowd – and I love wines that make me seem popular. Drink: 2006-2007. 86 points…Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front, Dec 2006