An exquisite and beautifully balanced wine, it is
complex and structured. Deep garnet-purple in colour, Astralis elicits aromas
of plums, blueberry, blackcurrant liqueur, mocha, and toast with a spicy
undercurrent. This is an extraordinary wine, a must-have for your cellar.
Wine Profile
Region
:
McLaren Vale
Classification
:
None
Appellation
:
South Australia
LWIN
:
1001532
Flavours
Black Currant
Burnt Toast
Spice
Mocha
Full Body
Blueberry
Food Pair
Lamb
Chicken
Pasta
Venison
Beef
About this WINE
Shiraz/Syrah
Black pepper, plum, dark chocolate, full color and tanninsThis grape is known as Syrah in northern Rhône, France and as Shiraz when grown in Australia. No matter what you call it, there is a Syrah or Shiraz for every palate and every occasion.This bold grape produces a range of powerful and smooth wines. The wines are ripe and indulgent, but leave you with its distinctive relish and go well with red meat.Whereas the Syrah/Shiraz grown in warmer conditions in general is sweeter and riper, wines from cooler areas appear aromatic, spicy and somewhat restrained.Choose a bottle from Barossa in Sout
About this WINE
The Producer
Clarendon Hills. In 1990 Roman Bratasiuk founded Clarendon Hills winery in Clarendon 40 kilometres (25 mi) south of Adelaide, part of the McLaren Vale Wine Region in South Australia. Clarendon was selected as a base because of the significant number of old vineyards (50 to 90 years). The township of Clarendon was established in 1880 by European migrants, who brought with them pre-clonal, original French vine cuttings and propagated vineyards across the surrounding hilltops. Clarendon is home to hugely varied terrain with sandy, clay based soils in the lower elevated regions and contrasted with...
Clarendon Hills. In 1990 Roman Bratasiuk founded Clarendon Hills winery in Clarendon 40 kilometres (25 mi) south of Adelaide, part of the McLaren Vale Wine Region in South Australia. Clarendon was selected as a base because of the significant number of old vineyards (50 to 90 years). The township of Clarendon was established in 1880 by European migrants, who brought with them pre-clonal, original French vine cuttings and propagated vineyards across the surrounding hilltops. Clarendon is home to hugely varied terrain with sandy, clay based soils in the lower elevated regions and contrasted with shattered shale and ironstone rich, quartz ridden soils in the highest areas. Grenache, Syrah Merlot, Mourvedre and Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards are sourced by Clarendon Hills within the Clarendon, Blewitt Springs and Kangarilla districts. Seeking to express the imprint a vineyard and its terroir stamps on varietal expression, Roman exclusively produces single vineyard wines. Today there are many single vineyard wines in Australia, but when Roman started in 1990, he was a virtual pioneer. In the early 1990s, Roman started becoming known for his Grenache, but today it is his impressive collection of ultra high quality wines spread across his 19 single vineyard cuvee portfolio. In Wine Advocate issue #173 it comments "Clarendon Hills is one of the worlds elite wine estates". Clarendon Hills is most highly regarded for its Syrah wine, named Astralis. In 1996 wine critic Robert Parker tasted the 1994 Astralis and wrote in issue 110 of his newsletter: Two bottles of Astralis (1998 and 1999 vintages) with slightly different labels designs, but both featuring a night sky with the Southern Cross.This is the hottest wine in Australian wine circles, as it came out ahead of two great vintages of Henschke and Penfolds’ Grange in a recent tasting. If readers can believe it, it is a bigger denser, more concentrated wine than the Grangeand in issue 108 (1996) he named Roman wine producer of the year. After this Astralis became a cult wine.Two vintages of Astralis (1996 and 1994) were recently included within the 'Greatest 1000 Wines of all time 1727-2006" as a result of 15 international MW's collaborating with Scandinavian publisher FINE. Clarendon Hills was awarded New World Winery of the Year in 2006 by Wine Enthusiast. To date, Astralis is either the highest or equivocally scored as the best Australian Shiraz/Syrah based wine every year according to US publications Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate.
The Region
Overall, the climate is Mediterranean, with fresh sea breezes helping to moderate temperatures during the growing season. Chilly winds from the hills also cool the grapes on specific vineyard sites, helping to retain acidity and structure. The summers and most of the autumn season are dry, which keeps vine diseases at bay. McLaren Vale vineyards also boast a wide range of soil types, with localized specialties.The region acquired its GI (Geographical Indication) status in 1997, but wine-growing traditions here are amongst the oldest in the country. Pioneers such as Thomas Hardy and John Reynel...
Overall, the climate is Mediterranean, with fresh sea breezes helping to moderate temperatures during the growing season. Chilly winds from the hills also cool the grapes on specific vineyard sites, helping to retain acidity and structure. The summers and most of the autumn season are dry, which keeps vine diseases at bay. McLaren Vale vineyards also boast a wide range of soil types, with localized specialties.The region acquired its GI (Geographical Indication) status in 1997, but wine-growing traditions here are amongst the oldest in the country. Pioneers such as Thomas Hardy and John Reynella, both iconic names in the Australian wine industry, can be credited with this achievement, having realized the region's potential in the early 19th Century when the first vines were planted.The proximity of McLaren Vale to the city of Adelaide provides plenty of custom for local wine producers' cellar door operations.
