Clayhouse Wines

NOTE: Trying out the new header, based on an old scratched up copy of the Saturday Evening Post. Love it or hate it, let me know. I always love to mix things up every few months.

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I've had the opportunity to try several of the Clayhouse Wines in the past, as well as wines from other producers run by the parent company Middleton. Clayhouse has a good selection of entry level wines, such as the Adobe series shown here.

Clayhouse produces its wines with balanced blending in mind, and those blends will change over the years to deliver the correct house style and structure. All enclosed with a convenient screwcap.

2009 Clayhouse Adobe Red
Central Coast
$14, 13.5% abv.
32% Zinfandel, 25% Petite Sirah, 13% Malbec, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah, 9% Petit Verdot.
Nose of blackberries, firm tannins, and a dark fruit profile. There are some powerful grapes in this mix, but it remains a balanced wine that's a good casual blend for a weeknight dinner.

2010 Clayhouse Adobe Pink
Central Coast
$14, 13% abv.
38% Mourvedre, 32% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon
Dominant watermelon flavor, with light aromas of wild strawberry and a hint of lemon zest. Tannins barely show up on the finish, which makes it fascinating as it warms up. Full fruit but dry. I served this to a half dozen different people with very different tastes in wine, yet they all loved it.

2010 Clayhouse Adobe White
Central Coast
$14, 13% abv.
46% Viognier, 27% Sauvignon Blanc, 16% Grenache Blanc, 9% Princess and 2% Chenin Blanc.
Princess is a cross between the Thompson seedless (the big green grape most people eat) and Muscat, but oddly it's not legal to list that grape name on a label yet. Slightly musky, touch of acidity. There's a little peach and apricot present, but the fruit is not overpowering here. Good all-purpose white, and a blend that you're not likely to see anywhere else.

2010 Clayhouse Sauvignon Blanc
Paso Robles
$14, 13% abv.
96% Sauvignon Blanc, 4% Grenache Blanc
And here's one extra from the middle tier of the product line. Crisp and acidic with lots of grapefruit both on the nose and the tongue. Very much like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, and likewise this should work well with lots of seafood dishes.


Note: These wines were received as samples.