Clarendon Hills
Something of a maverick estate found in the heart of McLaren Vale, Clarendon Hills is a small but influential family-run winery. Today, we are delighted to offer a small parcel of their leading wine - the utterly perfect Astralis 2010.
Founded by Roman Bratasiuk, a biochemist by trade, in 1990, Clarendon Hills is a pioneering producer of Australian fine wine. This legendary estate is still shepherded to greatness by this self-taught winemaker, whose obsession with the great wines of the world has seen him produce one of them!
Deciding to focus on single-vineyard cuvées in order to convey the incredible terroirs available to him, Bratasiuk is determined to allow his wines to convey a sense of place. Thoughts of monstrously sweet, extracted, mass-produced Aussie Shiraz should be as far as possible from anyone's mind whilst considering Clarendon Hills. They are simply sublime expressions of varietal and regions.
The 1994 and 1996 vintages are in the "Greatest 1000 Wines of All Time 1727-2006".
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Prices:
| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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South Australia | 1 | 94+ (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£448.09 |
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Vinous (94+)Full ruby. Superripe aromas of roasted plum, saddle leather, smoked meat, mint and oak spice. Huge, thick and sweet; extraordinarily ripe but supported by firm, ripe acids. Really suffuses the palate with sweet fruit. Explosive aftertaste features roasted berry, leather and woodsmoke notes and uncanny sweetness. Showing extremely well today but built to age. |
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South Australia | 2 | 99 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£1,940.72 |
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Wine Advocate (99)The 2002 Syrah Astralis Vineyard rivals the greatest wines Roman Bratasiuk has made in his 15-year career. This compelling, black/blue-hued offering from 75-year-old Syrah vines tastes like blood of the vine. An extraordinary perfume of flowers, creme de cassis, blackberries, roasted meat, new saddle leather, and earth is followed by a wine with sweet tannin, sensational concentration, full body, an unctuous texture, and a full-throttle, tannic finish. Yet it reveals unbelievable elegance and finesse. Too many Euro-centric elitists argue that Australian wines are too rich and over the top, but all of these offerings have been made by someone with great talent and vision who takes the extraordinary ripeness and purity of fruit available from these old vine vineyards and crafts them into wines that are quite European in style ... just richer and denser. The 2002 Astralis is a tour de force. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025+. |
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South Australia | 1 | 99 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£1,061.12 |
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Wine Advocate (99)At the top of the pyramid is the 2005 Syrah Astralis Vineyard. It is sourced from a vineyard planted in 1920 and is one of the Syrah cuvees in which 100% new oak is utilized (along with Brookman, Hickinbotham, and Piggott Range). It delivers an ethereal bouquet of smoky oak, violets, espresso, black pepper, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. Densely packed and tightly wound, all it needs is time. The wine is totally harmonious, impeccably balanced, and exceptionally long. When it fully unwinds, even my high rating will appear conservative. Its only competition comes from the likes of Guigal, Chapoutier, Chave, Krankl, and Ringland. |
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South Australia | 1 | 97 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£952.84 |
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Wine Advocate (97)Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2009 Astralis presents a very fruity, floral nose with lifted notes of blueberries. The palate is concentrated with a slight prune character and has very crisp acidity. At this stage the phenolics are showing a little chewy before finishing long. Drink it now to 2027+. |
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South Australia | 1 | 100 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£1,195.52 |
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Wine Advocate (100)Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2010 Astralis is still quite primary eliciting aromas of black plums, blueberry compote and blackcurrant liqueur with a savory and baking spice undercurrent plus a fragrant whiff of violets. Very structured, fine and complex in the medium to full-bodied mouth, this wine is revealing much more than when I first tasted it a year ago and is now showing layer upon layer of black fruit preserves, mocha, toast and spices before finishing with great length. Extraordinary wine. Approachable now, it should cellar to 2030+. |
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South Australia | 1 | 96+ (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£902.44 |
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Wine Advocate (96+)The deep garnet-purple 2011 Astralis offers a nose redolent of Christmas pudding, allspice, mocha and anise along with a lovely core of prunes, black cherry preserves and dusty earth. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the mouth with elegant, effortless fruit, with a medium level of finely grained tannins, just enough acidity, and a long and multi-layered finish. Drink it 2015 to 2030+. |
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South Australia | 1 | 92 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£209.12 |
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Vinous (92)Full ruby. Deep, smoky aromas of blackcurrant, dried rose and cracked pepper, with a slow-building herbal quality. At once juicy and smooth, with intense red fruit compote flavors over a firm mineral underpinning. Finishes spicy and long, with supple tannins arriving late and adding gentle grip. Drinking well right now but this should be even better with a couple more years of bottle age. This was aged in 85% new French oak. |
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South Australia | 4 | 94 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£378.04 |
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Vinous (94)Deep purple. Explosively pure aromas of raspberry, boysenberry and kirsch are almost head-spinning in their intensity and breadth. Lush, sweet and creamy in texture, with blackberry and boysenberry flavors penetrating every nook and cranny of the palate. But this superbly concentrated, deep wine is by no means a bruiser, as bright acids give the fruit lift and focus. The finish is a seemingly endless display of spicy, sweet red and dark berries, with whatever tannins there are utterly consumed by the black hole of fruit. |
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South Australia | 1 | 95 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£295.24 |
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Vinous (95)Dark, glass-staining purple. Expansive, floral bouquet of boysenberry, candied plum, blueberry jam and kirsch, with sexy oak spices and vanilla accentuating the impression of sweetness. A gorgeous expression of bright dark berry flavors, complicated by deft notes of cinnamon, cigar box and star anise. This shows impressive power but also an overall sense of elegance and finesse, especially on the juicy, long finish. An amazing wine, with jaw-dropping concentration and clarity. |
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South Australia | 1 | 98 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£1,129.27 |
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Wine Advocate (98)The exquisite 2006 Syrah Piggott Range is more structured yet. Thick, dense, and tightly wound, all the components are there for future greatness. Only patience is required. |
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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
South Australia | 1 | 94+ (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£440.40 |
|||||
Vinous (94+)Full ruby. Superripe aromas of roasted plum, saddle leather, smoked meat, mint and oak spice. Huge, thick and sweet; extraordinarily ripe but supported by firm, ripe acids. Really suffuses the palate with sweet fruit. Explosive aftertaste features roasted berry, leather and woodsmoke notes and uncanny sweetness. Showing extremely well today but built to age. |
|||||||||
|
|
South Australia | 2 | 99 (WA) |
In Bond
£1,598.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (99)The 2002 Syrah Astralis Vineyard rivals the greatest wines Roman Bratasiuk has made in his 15-year career. This compelling, black/blue-hued offering from 75-year-old Syrah vines tastes like blood of the vine. An extraordinary perfume of flowers, creme de cassis, blackberries, roasted meat, new saddle leather, and earth is followed by a wine with sweet tannin, sensational concentration, full body, an unctuous texture, and a full-throttle, tannic finish. Yet it reveals unbelievable elegance and finesse. Too many Euro-centric elitists argue that Australian wines are too rich and over the top, but all of these offerings have been made by someone with great talent and vision who takes the extraordinary ripeness and purity of fruit available from these old vine vineyards and crafts them into wines that are quite European in style ... just richer and denser. The 2002 Astralis is a tour de force. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025+. |
|||||||||
|
|
South Australia | 1 | 99 (WA) |
In Bond
£865.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (99)At the top of the pyramid is the 2005 Syrah Astralis Vineyard. It is sourced from a vineyard planted in 1920 and is one of the Syrah cuvees in which 100% new oak is utilized (along with Brookman, Hickinbotham, and Piggott Range). It delivers an ethereal bouquet of smoky oak, violets, espresso, black pepper, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. Densely packed and tightly wound, all it needs is time. The wine is totally harmonious, impeccably balanced, and exceptionally long. When it fully unwinds, even my high rating will appear conservative. Its only competition comes from the likes of Guigal, Chapoutier, Chave, Krankl, and Ringland. |
|||||||||
|
|
South Australia | 1 | 97 (WA) |
In Bond
£778.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (97)Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2009 Astralis presents a very fruity, floral nose with lifted notes of blueberries. The palate is concentrated with a slight prune character and has very crisp acidity. At this stage the phenolics are showing a little chewy before finishing long. Drink it now to 2027+. |
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|
|
South Australia | 1 | 100 (WA) |
In Bond
£977.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (100)Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2010 Astralis is still quite primary eliciting aromas of black plums, blueberry compote and blackcurrant liqueur with a savory and baking spice undercurrent plus a fragrant whiff of violets. Very structured, fine and complex in the medium to full-bodied mouth, this wine is revealing much more than when I first tasted it a year ago and is now showing layer upon layer of black fruit preserves, mocha, toast and spices before finishing with great length. Extraordinary wine. Approachable now, it should cellar to 2030+. |
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|
|
South Australia | 1 | 96+ (WA) |
In Bond
£736.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (96+)The deep garnet-purple 2011 Astralis offers a nose redolent of Christmas pudding, allspice, mocha and anise along with a lovely core of prunes, black cherry preserves and dusty earth. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the mouth with elegant, effortless fruit, with a medium level of finely grained tannins, just enough acidity, and a long and multi-layered finish. Drink it 2015 to 2030+. |
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|
|
South Australia | 1 | 92 (VN) |
In Bond
£155.00 |
|||||
Vinous (92)Full ruby. Deep, smoky aromas of blackcurrant, dried rose and cracked pepper, with a slow-building herbal quality. At once juicy and smooth, with intense red fruit compote flavors over a firm mineral underpinning. Finishes spicy and long, with supple tannins arriving late and adding gentle grip. Drinking well right now but this should be even better with a couple more years of bottle age. This was aged in 85% new French oak. |
|||||||||
|
|
South Australia | 4 | 94 (VN) |
In Bond
£299.00 |
|||||
Vinous (94)Deep purple. Explosively pure aromas of raspberry, boysenberry and kirsch are almost head-spinning in their intensity and breadth. Lush, sweet and creamy in texture, with blackberry and boysenberry flavors penetrating every nook and cranny of the palate. But this superbly concentrated, deep wine is by no means a bruiser, as bright acids give the fruit lift and focus. The finish is a seemingly endless display of spicy, sweet red and dark berries, with whatever tannins there are utterly consumed by the black hole of fruit. |
|||||||||
|
|
South Australia | 1 | 95 (VN) |
In Bond
£230.00 |
|||||
Vinous (95)Dark, glass-staining purple. Expansive, floral bouquet of boysenberry, candied plum, blueberry jam and kirsch, with sexy oak spices and vanilla accentuating the impression of sweetness. A gorgeous expression of bright dark berry flavors, complicated by deft notes of cinnamon, cigar box and star anise. This shows impressive power but also an overall sense of elegance and finesse, especially on the juicy, long finish. An amazing wine, with jaw-dropping concentration and clarity. |
|||||||||
|
|
South Australia | 1 | 98 (WA) |
In Bond
£909.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (98)The exquisite 2006 Syrah Piggott Range is more structured yet. Thick, dense, and tightly wound, all the components are there for future greatness. Only patience is required. |
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