The Blind Spot Clare Valley Riesling 2022

The Blind spot range of wines is made exclusively for us by renowned Australian winemaker, Mac Forbes. The way we work with Mac has evolved over time. For the last decade or so Mac had been seeking out parcels of wines from his extensive book of contacts and choosing those that showed delicious potential to bottle for us rather than seeing them disappear into the obscurity of big brand blends. They were far too good for that and the popularity of the range proved time and again that Mac’s judgements were spot on.

Now, the situation has evolved, and we have taken advantage of Mac’s unique position, knowledge on the ground, contacts books, and his undoubted and enviable talents to seek out great grapes for him to make wine from rather than sourcing wines that are already made. We fund the purchase of the grapes, often paying for them more than 12 months in advance of the wine being available, which is a first for The Wine Society and gives Mac the opportunity to be first in line to select fruit from vineyards he is excited about. The advantages are manifold. We get the winemaking of a talented, indeed renowned, winemaker; we have greater involvement in what gets made and how; there is better traceability of the fruit and how it is grown; and the wines can express their terroir when appropriate. It’s a win-win-win, and dare we say it, win, situation!

We have reduced the range size too, giving us greater and clearer focus, and allowing Mac to highlight the progressive and innovative approach of the best Australian winemaking as appropriate, while nodding to the heritage of the country and its history of creative blends and classic varieties.

You don’t have to be eagle-eyed to notice, too, that we are taking a fresh, and perhaps ‘funkier’ approach to our labelling of these wines, with the info and story upfront. It’s a striking departure and one that celebrates the future without losing sight of the past. This is a range we’re excited about, one that will offer some deliciously intriguing variety from Down Under.