CLARENDON HILLS Clarendon Onkaparinga Grenache, McLaren Vale

Consistent Domaine Clarendon Syrah characters include and grilled meat, black currant fruit and crushed rock, graphite-like minerality throughout the palate. The Domaine Clarendon Syrah is a part of the Clarendon Hills Premier-Cru classification and generally drinks best after 8-10 years in the cellar, when its terroir is formally demonstrated. Exceptional vintages like 2015 offer a unique approachability to this world class Terroir and opening it before full maturity offers an opportunity to see a legend in the making.

CLARENDON HILLS Brookman Vineyard Merlot, McLaren Vale Clarendon Hills’ Brookman Vineyard is among the highest in McLaren Vale, 250m higher and 10km north-east of the McLaren Vale township. The vines were planted on clay soils in the late 1960s and are dry-grown. Grapes are hand-picked 2-3 weeks later than on the flats, following a long, mild and generally consistent ripening period. Fermentation as whole berries, using wild yeasts, precedes 18 months maturation in tight-grained French Oak, 85% new, the rest between one and four years old. The final wine is a barrel selection. Brookman Merlot is noted for mulberry and blackcurrant fruit, spice and Christmas cake aromas, opulence, richness of flavour and softness with finely balanced tannins.

The Old Vine Syrah patch was planted in the 1930s and is on a slope of the property with a westerly aspect. These old gnarly vines are planted in heavily decomposed ironstone and quartz. The style of wine is completely individual and the winemaking team always comment on how light the style is and how exotic the spices are in this vineyard. The spices come across like incense mixed with deeply aromatic and smoky lapsang oolong tea. Exotic characters such as sandalwood, cocoa powder, sarsaparilla and cola elements top the roast meat and flinty, strawberry and cream palette of this wine. The lighter frame on this style is highly attractive and the intoxicating spices combine to create something highly exotic.

The old bush vine vineyard is considered a prized Premier Cru vineyard by the winemaking team at Clarendon Hills. Sourced from this single vineyard planted in the 1940’s and located in the famously deep sands of McLaren Vale, The Clarendon Hills Blewitt Springs Grenache is a showstopper. The wine expresses red and black cherry, blood orange, musk, violets, crushed rock and baking spice, with a talcum-like textured mouthfeel and long finish.

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.