Tim Adams: Tasting with the Man

Tim Adams Wine Tasting
25th June 2008

Tim Adams is a bit of a legend in the Australian wine scene. This tasting, hosted by the Adelaide Cellar Door, was a great chance to sample the range while hearing his thoughts. Tim's been involved in wine production in South Australia's Claire Valley since 1975 and has been chief winemaker and director of Tim Adams Wines for over twenty years.

The Clare is renowned for producing World class Riesling and the Tim Adams Riesling 2007 was pretty spot on. It was dominated by zesty citrus flavours, with wet rocks on the finish and tongue cutting acidity. The Tim Adams Semillon 2007 won 'World's Best Semillon' at the London International Wine Show and his 2006 version wasn't bad either. A well structured wine it had aromas of tropical fruit and ripe stone fruit flavours. Tim admitted his love of Pinot Gris and he's a pioneer of the variety in the Clare; his Pinot Gris 2008 was lush and aromatic with green apple and peach flavours and just a touch of sweetness on the finish.

Tim Adams 'The Fergus' 2006 was the first red. This Grenache dominant blend was a soft, easy drinking wine with lots of pepper and red fruit, it was also something of favourite amongst the punters. There's debate over whether the Clare is more suited to Cabernet or Shiraz but Tim produced good examples of both. The Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 was a fruit driven wine with excellent structure, solid tannins and plenty of gorgeous black fruit. The Tim Adams Shiraz 2005 was also a decent wine as was his top drop The Aberfeldy Shiraz 2005. This rich, opulent and perfumed wine spent 24 months in new American oak and will certainly look magnificent in a few years time.

The whole range of Tim Adams wines impressed me. Their quality was obvious; they were packed with flavour and offered varietal interest at very fair prices. It was also a great pleasure to meet Tim and his family; he was a genuine and friendly bloke who spoke extremely well. Thanks must go to Jess and the team at the Adelaide Cellar Door for organising such a successful night.
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