Kirrihill The Pastor Cabernet Malbec

Edward B Gleeson. AKA Paddy Gleeson. AKA The King of Clare. AKA The Squire. AKA The Pastor. Paddy was an Irishman who made his fortune in Calcutta before making the move to south Australia (with his entourage of animals!). He’d go on to be an iconic figure in the valley, he was the town’s first mayor, he even laid the first stones to the local church.

In a tip of the hat to the King of the Clare the guys at Kirrihill have produced a first rate red after him. And they spared little expense to make sure this is a red worthy of a bloke dubbed the founder of the Clare Valley!

This is the debut release of this Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec blend. It’s high quality Clare Valley Cabernet combined with Malbec adding plush, rich fruit flavours and texture.

You only have to glance at the gongs to see this is a class act. As well as scoring a Gold medal and Trophy for Champion Dry Red at the Clare Valley Wine Show it’s also had double 95/100 point ratings!

95/100 & Top Rank (Stuart Knox, The Real Review)
“A big and meaty red, dark fruits, bresaola and black olive tapenade fill every corner of the mouth. The tannins are equally muscular and do what is required to corral the intensity, pushing it very long and deep in the finish. I would definitely suggest a large cut of protein to make the most of that structure.”

95/100 (Jane Faulkner, James Halliday’s Wine Companion)
“Many of Kirrihill’s reds have been hammered with too much oak, and this is not shy either, but somehow it takes everything in its stride. Maybe it’s the malbec. Maybe it’s magic. There’s a buoyancy across the palate, velvety and expansive tannins, lemony acidity and plenty of regional accents. The most restrained of the high-end reds. But still bolshie.”

Drinking superbly right now but if you’ve got the patience you could tuck this one away in the cellar until 2035.