Pours dark with very slight bricking. Great nose. Hits sweet at first but then alcohol kicks in and brings down the experience. Time seemed to exasperate this. Good. Interesting but hot.
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Well constructed wine. Alluring color with orange and brown tones, slight haziness. This wine was Zinfandel-like, in a positive way. Nose has caramel, cherry cola, stewed strawberry, very ripe fruit skin. Some mint, wet stone too. Palate is silky and medium thin, light acid, with fully resolved tannin. The ripe fruit is sweet but balanced by earthy spices and some savoriness. The wine is fully mature but well kept bottles should still have several years of life. The only disappointment here is a lack of complexity of the fruit flavors. Also doesn’t sport the intoxicating aromas of old world grenache.
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Faded brick rim with medium dark centre. As my winery mate Rob guessed correctly, when served it blind, looks older than it is.
Initially baking bones and prune, mellowed later to caramelised fig, spice, stewed plum and raspberry. Complex. No confectionery.
Comfy palate. Resolved tannin, ultra smooth, mildly stewed fruit (but not stewy or jammy), liquorice traces and burnt characters. Carries its 14.5% alcohol well.
On its plateau. Drink now or the next five years.
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Love this producer. Beautiful smooth and balanced wine. Not a fruit bomb. Delicious red and black berries combined with licorice, pepper, some minerality and a tad of earth. No tannin. Really good now, but may not last much longer. Smooooth!
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This a big and complex wine. Chewy with cherry, tobacco and wood notes. Like a Tawny port but without the sweetness. Pricey but OK if you get it discounted.
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Purple plum in color. Cherry, earth and minerals on the nose. Bigger than I expected on the palate, but smooth with no tannin. More earth and minerals than fruit. I usually like this producer, but I would have liked it better with more fruit.
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lush and fruity with cherry and berry aromas and flavor along with earth and spice; smooth medium length finish. I agree with other reviewers; not worth the list price, but the PAWS Chairman made me an offer I could not refuse.
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A year later and my second bottle drinks pretty much like the first. Good and fairly non-complex Grenache. Not worth the $ Clarendon tries to command, but fine if purchased at a steep discount.
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Very big wine. Alnost brutal at first with very chewy and meaty notes, but after a bit of air it reveals more depth and complexity. Turned out very well and paired perfectly with the barbequed lamb. Not worth the retail price, but a very good wine and very pleasant to drink.
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Fragrant and fruited, no surprises; tastes like Australian wine, clearly grenache. It's big and opulent but lacking complexity - as jammy as can be. A glass was enough! Not my style, but I imagine it would be good for someone whose taste runs toward the obviously modern and big.
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The nose is delightful, with huge herbal notes, as well as intriguing touches of leather and earth. It’s juicy and earthy, red fruits mixing with vanilla, all in relative balance. Nicely matured at this stage. Part of my writeup here: http://pavineco.com/australian-wine-misconceptions/
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Extracted and mellow red cherry and strawberry. A bit of heat on a 1 hour decant that disappeared entirely at 2 hours. A nice finish, well rounded. Good effort, but fell short of the big expectations for my first Clarendon. Certainly not worth full retail $, but acceptable for the $35 I paid.
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This was was one of the the first wines from Clarendon Hills (2004-2006) that I was not completely enamored with. This 'lower end' bottling is still quite good, although a bit overpriced for what it delivers. I have one more bottle and will sit on it to see if a bit of the disjointed components decide to come together. Very fruit driven (red fruits, blackberry) with a touch of heat coming through. It has potential to be VERY good, even great, but I am skeptical if this wine isn't at or around the best it is going to be. Only time will tell!
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Served with a pork tenderloin on Christmas Day. It was a good pairing. Although there was some improvement over the course of the dinner, this wine is ready to drink.
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OMG This wine has gone over the moon with a couple of years of aging! Very smooth,round wine that paired beautifully with NZ BBQ lamb. Two hour decant.
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Day 2 (90) was much better than day 1 (87) - great nose but lacked mid-palate depth and complexity. I am hoping this is due to the fact that this drinking window won't open for at least 3 to 5 years...but I have my doubts this will come together to justify its premium price.
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3/12/2023 - Winokdub wrote: 90 Points
Pours dark with very slight bricking. Great nose. Hits sweet at first but then alcohol kicks in and brings down the experience. Time seemed to exasperate this. Good. Interesting but hot.
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10/11/2021 - CheviotCellar Likes this wine: 90 Points
Well constructed wine. Alluring color with orange and brown tones, slight haziness. This wine was Zinfandel-like, in a positive way. Nose has caramel, cherry cola, stewed strawberry, very ripe fruit skin. Some mint, wet stone too. Palate is silky and medium thin, light acid, with fully resolved tannin. The ripe fruit is sweet but balanced by earthy spices and some savoriness. The wine is fully mature but well kept bottles should still have several years of life. The only disappointment here is a lack of complexity of the fruit flavors. Also doesn’t sport the intoxicating aromas of old world grenache.
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2/21/2020 - TrevorL11 wrote:
Almost over the hill
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12/7/2019 - Dr S Likes this wine: 93 Points
Faded brick rim with medium dark centre. As my winery mate Rob guessed correctly, when served it blind, looks older than it is.
Initially baking bones and prune, mellowed later to caramelised fig, spice, stewed plum and raspberry. Complex. No confectionery.
Comfy palate. Resolved tannin, ultra smooth, mildly stewed fruit (but not stewy or jammy), liquorice traces and burnt characters. Carries its 14.5% alcohol well.
On its plateau. Drink now or the next five years.
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5/26/2018 - cos82 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Love this producer. Beautiful smooth and balanced wine. Not a fruit bomb. Delicious red and black berries combined with licorice, pepper, some minerality and a tad of earth. No tannin. Really good now, but may not last much longer. Smooooth!
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5/5/2018 - guzmana Likes this wine: 91 Points
This a big and complex wine. Chewy with cherry, tobacco and wood notes. Like a Tawny port but without the sweetness. Pricey but OK if you get it discounted.
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9/7/2015 - cos82 wrote: 88 Points
Purple plum in color. Cherry, earth and minerals on the nose. Bigger than I expected on the palate, but smooth with no tannin. More earth and minerals than fruit. I usually like this producer, but I would have liked it better with more fruit.
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3/24/2015 - lushlife wrote: 91 Points
lush and fruity with cherry and berry aromas and flavor along with earth and spice; smooth medium length finish. I agree with other reviewers; not worth the list price, but the PAWS Chairman made me an offer I could not refuse.
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8/10/2014 - Tvall13 wrote: 90 Points
A lot of heat initially but after 2 hours it opened up very nicely. Definitely one to decant.
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7/7/2014 - flgman wrote: 90 Points
A year later and my second bottle drinks pretty much like the first. Good and fairly non-complex Grenache. Not worth the $ Clarendon tries to command, but fine if purchased at a steep discount.
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5/15/2014 - KristianT wrote: 90 Points
Very big wine. Alnost brutal at first with very chewy and meaty notes, but after a bit of air it reveals more depth and complexity. Turned out very well and paired perfectly with the barbequed lamb. Not worth the retail price, but a very good wine and very pleasant to drink.
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3/18/2014 - P&F wrote: 89 Points
Fragrant and fruited, no surprises; tastes like Australian wine, clearly grenache. It's big and opulent but lacking complexity - as jammy as can be. A glass was enough! Not my style, but I imagine it would be good for someone whose taste runs toward the obviously modern and big.
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1/20/2014 - lifeattable wrote: 92 Points
The nose is delightful, with huge herbal notes, as well as intriguing touches of leather and earth. It’s juicy and earthy, red fruits mixing with vanilla, all in relative balance. Nicely matured at this stage. Part of my writeup here: http://pavineco.com/australian-wine-misconceptions/
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12/17/2013 - housewine37 wrote:
Harsh at first. After some air this shows an enjoyable amount of blackberry, leather, pomegranate and kirsch flavors. Lots of aging potential on this.
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9/9/2013 - flgman wrote: 90 Points
Extracted and mellow red cherry and strawberry. A bit of heat on a 1 hour decant that disappeared entirely at 2 hours. A nice finish, well rounded. Good effort, but fell short of the big expectations for my first Clarendon. Certainly not worth full retail $, but acceptable for the $35 I paid.
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8/17/2013 - andrewdodd86 wrote: flawed
Flawed bottle. Returned to CHWC 8/17/2013.
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7/26/2013 - DavidDay Likes this wine: 91 Points
Black cherry, and black currant highlight the dense fruit in this wine, flavor just keeps expanding in the glass.
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6/16/2013 - Al-Vino wrote: 94 Points
Just gets better and better!
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2/22/2013 - Al-Vino wrote: 93 Points
smokey, lush finish. Bottle is in the heart of the drinking window. Very good wine that needs a hearty protein meal to strut its stuff.
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1/16/2013 - junglejuice wrote: 89 Points
This was was one of the the first wines from Clarendon Hills (2004-2006) that I was not completely enamored with. This 'lower end' bottling is still quite good, although a bit overpriced for what it delivers. I have one more bottle and will sit on it to see if a bit of the disjointed components decide to come together. Very fruit driven (red fruits, blackberry) with a touch of heat coming through. It has potential to be VERY good, even great, but I am skeptical if this wine isn't at or around the best it is going to be. Only time will tell!
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12/25/2012 - GARDEN Likes this wine: 93 Points
Served with a pork tenderloin on Christmas Day. It was a good pairing. Although there was some improvement over the course of the dinner, this wine is ready to drink.
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12/4/2012 - Al-Vino Likes this wine: 93 Points
OMG This wine has gone over the moon with a couple of years of aging! Very smooth,round wine that paired beautifully with NZ BBQ lamb. Two hour decant.
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6/12/2010 - Al-Vino wrote: 90 Points
Day 2 (90) was much better than day 1 (87) - great nose but lacked mid-palate depth and complexity. I am hoping this is due to the fact that this drinking window won't open for at least 3 to 5 years...but I have my doubts this will come together to justify its premium price.
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9/18/2008 - Miceri wrote:
Dark colour; nose of vanilla, strawberry, black berry; powerful taste, blackberry; sharp; a slight reminder of Aalto except from the sharpness
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