CLARENDON HILLS Clarendon Onkaparinga Grenache, McLaren Vale

The Syrah patch was planted in the mid 1940’s and yields a microscopic 250-300 dozen per annum. The Sandown Syrah patch is west facing and features significant ironstone content. The site yields a signature incense like spice throughout the fruit and makes for a highly exotic expression of Blewitt Springs Syrah. Cola, sarsaparilla, incense, blackcurrant, blueberry, black olive, Italian leather, Sandalwood and roasted meat are all on display with recessed power woven throughout this highly perfumed and multi-layered, seamless example.

The Domaine Clarendon Grenache represents a regional wine composed of the declassified Grenache fruit from the Clarendon Hills single vineyard Grenache wines. The Domaine Clarendon Grenache expresses an abundance of fresh cut flowers (violet and roses) on the nose with red cherry, blood orange and raspberry and red berry characters throughout. The bright acidity on the palate illuminates the purity of fruit on the tightly wound core, with fine talcum-like tannins and a long finish.

Immerse yourself in the celestial elegance of Clarendon Hills Astralis Shiraz 2013, a 750mL masterpiece from McLaren Vale’s premier single vineyard. Sourced from 35 to 70-year-old dry-grown vines on clay, ironstone, and gravelly soils, this wine captures the essence of its terroir with minimal intervention. Fermented with wild yeasts and matured for 18 months in 100% new French oak barriques, the 2013 vintage reveals a deep garnet hue. Its complex nose offers exotic spices, graphite, dark plums, black tea, iodine, white pepper, and a touch of redder plum. The palate is strikingly concentrated, with rich red plums and blackberries, framed by super-fine, long tannins that promise decades of evolution. Rated 95 points by James Suckling for its powerful yet youthful profile, this Astralis is a collector’s treasure, ideal for pairing with beef or venison, and a testament to Australian winemaking at its finest.