95pts James Halliday | Clare Valley's Finest Bordeaux Blend from Australia's Most Celebrated Small Producer

The 2018 Grosset Gaia Clare Valley Cabernet Blend is the flagship red wine of Jeffrey Grosset — one of Australia's most revered winemakers and the man who put Clare Valley Riesling on the world map. Gaia is his Bordeaux-inspired Cabernet blend, and it is a wine that captures something unique: the distinctive DNA of Clare Valley Cabernet, which, as Halliday puts it, once you're hooked, there's no going back. Now 7 years old and still finding its way — but certainly not lost.

My Wine Man on Grosset

Jeffrey Grosset established his eponymous winery in the Clare Valley in 1981 and has spent four decades producing wines of extraordinary precision and character. He is best known for his benchmark Rieslings, but Gaia is the wine that reveals the other side of his genius — a Bordeaux blend of real complexity and regional identity, built from Clare Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Clare Valley Cabernet has its own DNA: more mineral, more herbal, and more structured than its Coonawarra or Margaret River counterparts. Gaia is the finest expression of that character.

Tasting Notes

Mulberries dipped in mint dark chocolate, goji berries, refreshing yet deep and earthy. Currants, sweet and sour cherries, sandy tannins with a slight green edge to the finish. There's a lot going on here — a wine of real complexity and Clare Valley character that is still integrating and developing. 95pts James Halliday.

Style & Drinking Window

Medium to full-bodied with sandy tannins and a mineral, herb-driven character. Still developing and will reward patience — best from 2026 onwards, with a drinking window extending through 2033–2035. Decant for 1 hour to allow the wine to open up.

Why This Is a Smart Buy

At HK$349, the Grosset Gaia delivers 95pt Clare Valley Bordeaux-blend from one of Australia's most celebrated small producers. Jeffrey Grosset's track record for precision and quality, combined with the distinctive character of Clare Valley Cabernet, makes this one of the most compelling and individual Cabernet blends in the store.

Looking for a Different Style?

Explore more Clare Valley and premium Australian Cabernet:

• 2016 Kilikanoon Oracle Shiraz — peer premium Clare Valley red from the same vintage year
• 2016 Kilikanoon Covenant Shiraz — peer 95pt Clare Valley Shiraz, 9 years of bottle age
• 2019 Fraser Gallop Parterre Cabernet Sauvignon — peer premium Bordeaux-blend, 96pts Halliday, Margaret River

Life's too short for bad wine.