Thorn Clarke - Milton Park
South Eastern Australia

The Estate
The Thorn-Clarke families have been growing grapes in the Barossa and Eden Valley regions of South Australia for many years. They bought the property in 1990 (at that time it was run as a dairy). When looking for a source of grapes that would allow for high quality, affordable wines to be produced for the Milton Park range, South Eastern Australia's irrigated river regions was the answer. The Thorn-Clarke philosophy of supplying outstanding wines at each price level carries through to the Milton Park range, every measure has been taken to ensure this objective has been met. The resulting wines show character, consistency and true varietal attributes - a range of excellent wines at very reasonable prices.

The Thorn-Clarke family
Ron Thorn, Cheryl Clarke (born Thorn), Sam Clarke, Brian Clarke and David Clarke.

Milton Park Vineyard

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#A1EE294099CHS
UPC code: 8 53065 00067 2
2008 Thorn-Clarke, Milton Park, Chardonnay 12/750ml
The grapes were crushed, destemmed and then pressed using a membrane press. Pressings were not used. Fermented using French Yeast at 12-15 degrees Celcius. The ferment was kept slow and cool to retain all the natural flavours of the grape. The wine was then racked and filtered. Bottling took place soon afterwards so the wine was a true expression of the grape and the terroir from which it was made.
The color is a rich vibrant green. The nose shows lifted clean, sweet fruit of apricot and peach. The palate is medium to full bodied and exhibits predominantly peach and nectarine flavours, with cloves and cardamom evident from the use of a small amount of French oak. The wine finishes full and long with a nice balance of sweet fruit and creaminess.

"Fresh, clean, sunny, balanced and complete. This really tastes like Chardonnay, with some weight and texture and a somewhat velvety finish."
"For about $11, it’s a steal. The importer, Kysela Père et Fils of Winchester, Va., says the winery made 7,000 cases, of which 5,000 were imported into the U.S. and distributed to 40 states."
"BEST OF TASTING" - "VERY GOOD"
- The Wall Street Journal (July 09) "Australian Chardonnay: Not Back Yet"

#A1EE294011CHS
UPC code: 8 53065 00067 2
2007 Thorn-Clarke, Milton Park, Chardonnay 12/750ml
2007 Vintage had a mild and long ripening season. These conditions favored the accumulation of fruit driven and vibrant wines with great acidity.
The grapes were crushed, destemmed and then pressed using a membrane press. Pressings were not used. Fermented using French Yeast at 12-15 degrees Celcius. The ferment was kept slow and cool to retain all the natural flavours of the grape. The wine was then racked and filtered. Bottling took place soon afterwards so the wine was a true expression of the grape and the terroir from which it was made.
The color is a rich vibrant green. The nose shows lifted clean, sweet fruit of apricot and peach. The palate is medium to full bodied and exhibits predominantly peach and nectarine flavours, with cloves and cardamom evident from the use of a small amount of French oak. The wine finishes full and long with a nice balance of sweet fruit and creaminess.

87 PTS - WHITE VALUE - Wine Advocate (Feb. 09)

"Light yellow. Musky pear and peach on the nose, with light spice and floral qualities adding interest. Light-bodied orchard fruit and melon flavors are a touch sweet, but offer good palate-coating depth. An easy-drinking chardonnay that offers good straightforward fruit and some finishing cling. "
- International Wine Cellar (July/Aug 2008), 87 pts


National Retail Price: $12.99 / bottle

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UPC code: 8 53065 00073 3
2008 Thorn-Clarke, Milton Park, Riesling, Eden Valley 12/750ml
2006 Vintage had a mild and long ripening season. These conditions favored the accumulation of fruit driven and vibrant wines.
The grapes were crushed and de-stemmed then gently pressed to minimize tannin extraction. The juice was settled for 3 days then racked and yeast added. Cool fermentation with temperatures maintained between 12°C-14°C, to ensure maximum fruit expression. The wine was then filtered and bottled to retain all the freshness and vitality.
The wine is a very pale straw with a green tinge. The nose has lifted lemon sherbert and a lime fragrance. The palate is medium bodied with subtle and elegant sweet lemon fruit. Combined with the clean racy acid the flavour builds in the mouth and results in a long finish of intense fruit with lime and lemon rind.

National Retail Price: $12.99 / bottle

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2008 Thorn-Clarke, Milton Park, Shiraz 12/750ml
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UPC code: 8 53065 00068 9
2008 was a very warm year with harvest being completed in a very short period. The resultant wines from the vintage reflect the growing conditions with loads of upfront fruit and rich mouthfeel, meaning wines from this vintage will have a great deal of aging potential as well.
Aged for 12 months in American oak barrels.
Deep red color. The wine is deep and rich smelling with dark fruits, plums and spice with some good oak. There is very rich fruit on the palate with plums, blackberry and sweet spice from the oak. The palate is vibrant and young with a flavorsome viscous mouthfeel which will develop complexity with time. There are some slightly chewy tannins which will soften with time and there is great length of fruit flavor.

"The 2008 Milton Park Shiraz was aged in American oak. Aromas of spice box, plum, anise, and blueberry lead to a sweetly-fruited, smooth-textured wine with good depth and a medium-long finish. It can be enjoyed over the next 3-4 years."
- Wine Advocate (Dec. 09), 88 pts

2007 Thorn-Clarke, Milton Park, Shiraz 12/750ml
#A0EE294018SZL
UPC code: 8 53065 00068 9
The grapes are crushed and destemmed into fermenters. Yeast is added immediately once in fermenter and the ferments are pumped over twice daily to maximize color, tannin and flavor extraction. Cooling is used to ensure ferments remain in the 22-25 degrees Celcius range which will allow the fruit to display maximum fruit expression. Pressing then occurs approximately seven days after crushing and the wine is then put into predominantly American oak to mature.
2007 was a mild growing season with very low crops resulting in wines with good color and flavor, that achieved optimum ripeness.

The color is a deep red. The nose is clean and lifted, with complex characters of bitter chocolate and thyme. A lovely rich and creamy mouth feel is accompanied by soft integrated tannins. There are predominant flavors of plum, anise and raspberry, backed by spicy notes throughout the pallet. Good length of chocolate and plumb fruit characters combine well to create a long finish.

88 pts - RED VALUE - Wine Advocate (Feb. 09) .


National Retail Price: $12.99 / bottle

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#A0EE294017MRM
UPC code: 8 53065 00074 0
2007 Thorn-Clarke, Milton Park, Merlot 12/750ml
The grapes are crushed and destemmed into fermenters. Yeast is added immediately once in fermenter and the ferments are pumped over twice daily to maximize color, tannin and flavor extraction. Cooling is used to ensure ferments remain in the 22-25 degrees Celcius range which will allow the fruit to display maximum fruit expression. Pressing then occurs approximately seven days after crushing and the wine is then put into a mix of French and American oak to mature.
12 months in tight grain French and American oak.

Deep red in color. The nose has clean ripe blackcurrant fruit with nuances of liquorice, mint and chocolate oak characters. The palate is medium bodied with an abundance of rich, sweet fruit. Blueberry, raspberry and chocolate pudding fill the palate bringing depth and complexity. Very evenly balanced mouth-filling palate, with mid-weight tannins combining together to give a great length.

"The 2007 Milton Park Merlot, a part of which was exposed to American oak, dark ruby-colored, it offers up a pleasant perfume of spicy red fruits, especially cassis. Seamless, tasty, and easy to understand, this is a very good value in Merlot."
- Wine Advocate (Dec. 09), 87 pts

"Ruby-red. Jammy red and dark berry aromas are complicated by fresh rose, cinnamon and nutmeg. Light-bodied raspberry and cherry preserve flavors offer straightforward appeal, with a subtle bite of acidity adding lift. Finishes clean and brisk, with good length."
- International Wine Cellar (July/Aug 2008), 88 pts


National Retail Price: $12.99 / bottle