We arrived in the Clare Valley at lunchtime and really enjoyed the food and ambience of the Terroir restaurant. Sadly it will be closed for the rest of our stay which means we can’t buy one of their rare bottles from Wendouree.  Sunday afternoon is for visiting cellar doors so we popped into Mt Horrocks (Auburn) and then Crabtree (Watervale) for two instructive visits.  On the whole, I have not enjoyed the Italian varietals which are currently all the rage in South Australia and in Victoria but Mt Horrocks’ Nero d’Avola 2013 is fine and lifted with pure red cherry fruit and crisp acidity.  Their Shiraz 2013 is also on the elegant side and we got to taste the current vintage of the late picked Riesling, Cordon Cut 2015.  The stars at Crabtree were the Watervale Riesling 2015, fresh and creamy, the Grenache rosé and the very beautiful Grand Liqueur Muscat.  Mt Horrocks gets the prize for the most original and comfortable cellar door – Auburn’s old railway station magnificently restored.  

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