Bonnie Brae Wine & Liquor Mart
785 S. University Boulevard • Denver, CO 80209
Phone: (303) 733-7261

Peter Lehman Wines
– Tanunda (Barossa Valley), Australia

Peter Lehmann Wines is one of Australia’s most respected and innovative winemakers. Today, the growing of grapes and the making of wine is the predominant pre-occupation of the Barossa Valley. Wine Spectator, has selected “Clancy’s” in its prestigious “Top 100 Wines of the Year” listing on no less than four occasions since 1997!!

The Monthly Selection

2005 "Clancy's Red" 

Successive vintages of Clancy’s Red have earned acclaim in Australia, the UK and USA, and successive vintages of this wine have gained major recognition around the world for being an exceptional wine at a very fair price. America’s leading wine magazine, Wine Spectator, has selected Clancy’s in its prestigious Top 100 Wines of the Year listing on no less than four occasions since 1997, and selected the 2004 vintage to appear in its inaugural list of the World’s Top 100 Wine Values.

Winemaker’s Comments: This vintage of Clancy’s has a dark centre with a deep red rim. On the nose it shows dark plum, black forest fruits and chocolate. A robust and full-bodied wine, showing delicious velvet fruit on the palate, reflecting the quality of the excellent 2005 vintage. A blend of 35% Shiraz, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, the fruit was fermented on skins for seven days, and the wine was matured in French and American oak hogsheads for 12 months prior to bottling. Journalist reviews: “Focused and flavorful, with brilliant blackberry, thyme and black pepper flavors that never lose their zing as they rocket through the fine-grained, polished finish. Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Drink now through 2012” 90 Points, The Big Red Wine Book: “It tastes of mulberries, plums and chocolate but that’s essentially irrelevant; the main thing is that it tastes good. It’s got soft, velvety tannin and a chewy hit of medium-weight flavour. As a drink-now red I reckon it’s spot on!”

Regular Price $16.99 Web Special $12.99

The Peter Lehman Story

Today, the Barossa is the beating heart of Australia’s wine industry. But the Barossa is so much more than wine. The Barossa’s beautiful landscapes, its strong sense of community, its distinctive architecture, its strong culinary traditions and its vibrant cultural life all combine to make it one of the great cultural tourism destinations of the world.

The Barossa has a rich pioneering history. The now world renowned Barossa Valley was discovered in 1837, by Colonel William Light, South Australia's First Surveyor-General and Adelaide’s far-sighted planner. He named it "Barossa," because it reminded him of the country in Spain where he had fought a hard campaign during the Peninsula Wars against Napoleon. Then, in 1840, George Fife Angas, a British merchant banker, landowner and philanthropist, bought 24,000 acres (10,900 hectares) in the Barossa Valley, re-selling 2,000 of these acres to 25 Prussian Lutheran families. Led by a certain Pastor Kavel, these families had come to Australia seeking freedom to worship in the Lutheran Church, a right denied them by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia. These early Lutheran settlers were devout, thrifty, hard working and frugal, characteristics that are still reflected in the Barossa culture today. In the same period, early English settlers tended to take up land in the Barossa Ranges, which was at that time predominantly pastoral. At that time, the German-speaking Lutherans dominated the Valley floor with their smaller holdings of the more fertile land. These early settlers were mixed farmers, as they preferred to spread the agricultural risk. They tended orchards and vegetable gardens, as well as grazing sheep and cattle and cropping cereals.

It is generally accepted that the first vines in the Barossa were planted in either 1841 by Joseph Gilbert on his Pewsey Vale property (in what is now the Eden Valley), or in 1842 by brothers Ferdinand and Marno Aldenhoven at Bethany on the Valley Floor. Vineyard expansion, pushed along by famous wine pioneers such as Smith, Gramp, Seppelt and Salter continued throughout the late 1840s onward. Barossa Wines were being exhibited at the Tanunda and Angaston Agricultural shows as early as the 1850s. From these early foundations, the wine industry flourished, so that today the growing of grapes and the making of wine is the predominant pre-occupation of the Barossa. Many of Australia’s major wine companies have a strong Barossa presence.

Peter Lehmann Wines is one of Australia’s most respected and innovative winemakers, creating wines in Barossa that are sought out by wine lovers around the globe. Winemaking operations are carried out at a single site located near Tanunda, in the very heart of the Valley, here in South Australia. Peter Lehmann’s winemakers follow the long Australian tradition of blending Shiraz with Cabernet Sauvignon, but give a unique touch with the incorporation of Merlot to give a soft, approachable and richly enjoyable red wine. The “Clancy’s Red” we are featuring this month is such a wine. Clancy's blend is a firm favorite with lovers of red wine, and has earned its status as an “Australian Legend.”

As one writer noted, “Clancy’s is a long time favorite at The Wine Club. This classic Aussie blend of Shiraz, Cabernet and Merlot is always good, always fruit forward, and always a great deal. The wine has great dark fruit and spice, polished tannins and great finish. This is a terrific wine to have on hand for summer barbeques or for any time you want something truly nice, but do not want to break the bank.”

November 2009 SPECIAL FEATURES

Big House Winery - Monterey County, CA
• 2008 "Birdman" Pinot
  Grigio