1996 Clarendon Hills Shiraz Astralis
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Tasting notes
Deep garnet-colored, the 1996 Astralis wows right from the start with an incredibly profound nose of meat and fertile loam intermingling with black truffles, black cherry and black plum preserves plus a whiff of Christmas cake. Ripe, rich and seductive, the medium to full-bodied palate is generous and refreshing with crisp acid, medium levels of rounded tannins and a finish that lingers a very long time. It is mature, for drinking now. I am grateful to Roman Bratasiuk for presenting me with small verticals from his cellar of some of his greatest vineyard sources for this report, including the Merlot (as an indication that Merlot can do well in Australia!), the Old Vines/Romas Vineyard Grenache and a vertical of the Astralis vineyard Shiraz going back to 1991. Readers should note that the 2011 vintage Clarendon Hills wines are being released a little later than usual and therefore were not available for tasting in time for this report. However, I have been informed that they will be available for tasting very soon and will hopefully make the South Australia report. Importer: Wine Brokers Unlimited, Hayward, CA
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Very dark crimson – almost black – but this wine has matured from its brash youth into something almost subtle – a sort of Australian Côte R ôtie. Impressive! (JR)
The blockbuster 1996 Astralis Syrah is the most Hermitage-like. Its dark plum/purple color is followed by a big, sweet kiss of roasted meats, creme de cassis, blackberries, pepper, and forest floor. Dense with superb purity, full-bodied power, and beautiful balance, it is the only Astralis we tasted that exhibited a strong tertiary/secondary aromatic development. Robert Parker, Wine Advocate # 183
Deep garnet-colored, the 1996 Astralis wows right from the start with an incredibly profound nose of meat and fertile loam intermingling with black truffles, black cherry and black plum preserves plus a whiff of Christmas cake. Ripe, rich and seductive, the medium to full-bodied palate is generous and refreshing with crisp acid, medium levels of rounded tannins and a finish that lingers a very long time. It is mature, for drinking now. Feb 2014, www.robertparker.com
About the producer
Based in the McLaren Vale, Clarendon Hills has been one of the pioneering names in Australian wine. Focusing on single-site expressions of individual grapes, working with old dry-farmed vineyards, it has become one of the world’s leading producers, best known for its iconic Astralis Shiraz.