The Koerner Classico is a medium-bodied, supple, and beautifully expressive red blend from the Clare Valley, South Australia. Crafted by Damon Koerner, this wine is a clever, progressive reimagining of the region's traditional Cabernet Malbec partnership. By weaving in small amounts of Sangiovese and Grenache, it delivers a plush yet strikingly refreshing blend that balances modern, hands-off drinkability with serious structural pedigree.
- Aromas: The nose is highly engaging and layered, offering intense notes of dark fruit, blackcurrant, and sweet rose oil, mixed with savoury hints of new leather, tobacco leaf, mint, and fresh sage.
- Palate: The palate is succulent and generous, delivering dark plum, redcurrant, and black olive flavours driven by clean, crisp acidity and a fine line of graphite minerality.
- Style: This is a vibrant, modern take on a classic Clare Valley red that brilliantly matches a rich amplitude of flavour with a light-footed, mouth-watering freshness.
- Winemaking: A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Malbec, 6% Sangiovese, and 4% Grenache sourced from red clay and limestone soils. The fruit is wild-fermented in open steel tanks, matured for 12 months in French oak demi-muids, and bottled completely unfined and unfiltered.
- Cellaring: While it shows incredible lift and energy right now, its refined tannin structure and superb balance ensure it will cellar gracefully until 2028.
- Food Pairing: An exceptional partner for savoury, herb-accented dishes like wood-fired lamb shoulder, slow-cooked beef ragu, or a rich tomato and eggplant caponata.
Koerner Wines
Koerner Wine is a partnership between brothers Damon and Jonathan Koerner, focused on bringing a fresh perspective to the Clare Valley. Working primarily with fruit from their family vineyard in Watervale, they produce wines that reflect both tradition and a more contemporary edge.
Alongside classic Clare Valley varieties such as Riesling, Cabernet and Malbec, they explore alternative varietals that showcase a different side of this iconic region.
Guided by a simple philosophy—that great wine is made in the vineyard—their approach results in wines that are light, fresh, textured, and highly drinkable. A producer well worth watching.
