Bob's cellar. Nice garnet red, no evident bricking. Swirls of sharp cassis pinched with redcurrant, spicy menthol, twist of black cherry nose. A little dryness on opening tasting, but this is washed away by delicious red berries, cassis and damson, peppery spice, and a nicely done dash of tannic grip. With some air, crunchy red fruit comes through, funky forest floor. Really good.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deeply coloured, bright red with black core. Bright, intense fragrance. Dark spice, red berries, blood plum, damson, rich cassis. Fruit flavours drive the impression, rich and sweet, but with excellent structure, finessed, lithe, refined. Primary fruits still set the profile, gentle secondary flavours only, youthful. Hints of dark tar spice, licorice, graphite. Silky, stylish and delicious.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bob's cellar. Deep red, no bricking evident. Nose is deep damson, cassis, lovely stewed black fruit, rich and delicious. The Viognier hits your palate (in a good way) initially, it's complex and layered. Vegetal notes bubble up to the top, and there's a sharp red fruit behind. Tannins are still peppery, and in control. Nice wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Barely ready to my taste. The combination of screw cap and excellent cellaring conditions make for a very long time for maturation. Côte Rôtie under cork takes long enough, but for someone of my age this wine is problematic. What I should have done 12 or so years ago was store it in a kitchen cupboard. Apart from that, it's a lovely wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deli meats, red fruits, exotic spice, ample length, dreamy tongue coating feel good tannin, supreme balance. Worthy accompaniment to a 50th birthday meal, though life got in the way of those plans and we’re a few days past.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dec22- Screwcap, some sediment. Slowox 3 hrs. Ruby red, translucent on the rim. (red)berries and cream, with a subtle reductive biltong, dried herbs sous bois underlay. Palate has a lovely savoury red fruited, dried cranberry + licorice kind of vibe. Tannins almost completely integrated, with just a small uplift of interwoven pepper and acid fanning out at the end, giving vibrancy. This is an outstanding wine, and I’m throughly impressed. Clearly not at the end of its drinking window for me, but at a great spot all the same and over the next 6 yrs+. 95
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This bottle was much better than the one I had a few months ago so a re-evaluation. It had life, definition, power and much more drinkable. Who said there is no bottle variation with screw cap.
Bright ruby. Complex bouquet that is dominated by floral notes, spice / white pepper, cherry and a hint of rose petal. Palate was humming with freshness accompanied by dark plums or berries, peppery and with a sweetness undertone. Tannin was present with vanilla oak quite present. The finish was long although not satisfying. The wine had power but missing the grace on the finish which let it down.
Drink now to 7+ years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Blind Tasting Australian Shiraz (Taylor's wines, Alexandria): Medium minus intensity aromas of charcuterie, savoury, meaty, blackberry and black pepper with a little red berry underpin. Chalky tannins dominate the palate, the fruit is a little dried out but does grown with time. A good decant should help.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Appearance: showing good developed but not too much bricking. Medium+ intensity nose that is fragrant and showing lots of pepper, black fruits, some meat and herbs.
Palate: medium+ body. Fine tannins, acidity is still bright for its age. Great balance and concentration. Has softened nicely. Outstanding. Alas, my last bottle from 2008.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine needs more time and right now, it is still somewhat unintegrated. The role of the viognier is quite prominent, currently giving it a perfume lift and raciness. Certainly it helped with smoothing out the tannin which is still quite present.
So why is not a great wine? Yes, it ticks all the boxes but it is very linear - straight as an arrow with the taste profile not truly changing from front to back palate. And it does not have the depth at this stage but this could change. It is Rhone like as there is a hint of that rustiness but not too much.
Drink in 5+ years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Screw cap. Decanted for 3 hours. Bloody beautiful and still quite youthful. Nose is a complex and savoury mix of dark fruits, red berries, charcuterie, blood and bone, bramble, earth, some floral notes and spices. Not peppery. Very refined on the palate where there is excellent drive and focus. Medium to full bodied, and tannins are present but very lithe and well on their way to resolution. Excellent balance with all parts of the choir singing from the same sheet of music. Drink now with a decent breathing or let rest for 5-10 years.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Scored using the Cellar Tracker scale as 'Outstanding'. My note is made courtesy of a very good friend who poured some for me. I believe I was tasting on day 2. The swine made my inferior palate work hard, because he did/would not tell me the variety. I really need the crutch of the label to help me, otherwise in blind tastings I have a terrifying tendency to veer off into strange territory, like a Be-bop sax player in a swing band. It is interesting, but just not good.
The colour is quite deep, with great persistence, promising power as befits a great, war, year. The colour suggests a wine out of nappies but there is little evidence of bricking.
The nose shows charcuterie, red fruits, berries , but also some darker characters. There is perfumed lift as well. At first I wondered if this wasn't a really bulky Grenache based wine. There is a note of black pepper that takes one to Shiraz, however.
The palate puts to rest Grenache; the tannins are supple and fine but not sandy, nor of the type I associate with Grenache. The palate feel is also not Grenache. This wine is both round and full, intense and long but not heavy. The acid remains fresh and the flavours are still mostly in the primary spectrum. If asked I would have said, based on colour and palate, a wine past the first flush of youth - perhaps 5-7 years.
Depending on closure and cellaring conditions, I think this has plenty of time ahead. However, it is ready to go now and it is splendid drinking. I want to throw a CK vintage into a tasting of Cote Rotie. I think the results could be very interesting. Many thanks to my very generous friend. Although a New Zealander, he has many good qualities.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
In a beautiful place. Dark garnet still. High-toned nose of dark plum and raspberry, with some dried herb embroidery. Clarity and purity sum it up.
Similar clean, pure flavours run the length of the refined palate. Everything in its place. Still fresh and long. This is on a long plateau, for at least another 10 years, but is superb drinking now.
It owes as much to Burgundy as it does Cote Rotie. A close friend, who’s a hard core (neo) Burgundyphile, said it reminded him of ‘very good Chambertin’. An apt parallel.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
In stunning form (and a perfect way to say adieu to a more imperfect year than usual). Agree it looked even better on night two. Good colour still with bricking starting to show. Close your eyes and the nose could be top class Cote Rotie. Lifted notes, hung meat/charcuterie, exotic spices, and, for the first time with the 08, a CR dark herb streak that I associate with the original Cka vineyards (before the T&L block became part of the mix, from Tim the winemaker and his amazing wife Lara’s own block next door). The palate is beautifully poised, everything so well proportioned. Both SV components melded, red cherry and dark berries, savoury tannin resolved - lovely smooth texture. Great line and structure. Further proof that the SVs come into their stride at the 12 year mark. In March 2019, the 08 SV looked a little hot, reflecting the year. Tasted twice in 2020, it looks to have entered its maturing drinking window, richer, more complex, no heat. Lovely now but miles ahead (PS the 1994, the third ‘prototype’ SV with Pinot, tasted two weeks before Xmas was alluring and alive, another 10 if not 20 years left). Life is good.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow this was singing - possibly the most amazing nose on a shiraz viognier from Clonakilla, full of lush ripe raspberries, depth of floral aromas, and a smidge of vanillin. With about an hour of air the wine was drinking wonderfully, lush and soft on the palate, almost coaxing you to embrace it. Almost a complete Clonakilla sv profile, but didn't detect much white pepper from this. Practically impossible to find back vintages outside of Australia, though on this showing I will certainly be keeping a lookout for more bottles! Drinking at peak with at least 5 good years ahead of it.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
8.5/10 - Drinking quite well now but still a long way to go. Dan described it as light but with body. Sounds oxymoronic but I see where he's coming from. Almost like an iron fist in a velvet glove
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Screwcap, 14% alc. Still a deep red with dark crimson hue, but paler than at youth.
Rather savoury aromas of raspberry, blackberry, smoked meat, tobacco, cherry, and orange peel. It requires quite a bit of coaxing to come alive.
In the mouth, the wine presents a relatively subdued, yet complex, palate of sour raspberry, mixed spices, menthol, tobacco, graphite, star anise, and soap, and a gentle lift that I usually associate with viognier addition in Shiraz. Plentiful, very fine, dusty tannins have quite some grip on the palate; combined with the oak, they slightly overpower the fruit initially. With air-time, the savoury fruit comes alive. This has quite some drive and length for a light-medium bodied wine.
Opinion: Quite a brambly, earthy, savoury red that builds depth and power as it breathes and warms up to room temperature. The aromas and flavours are relatively discreet and monotone at first, before slowly unravelling and putting on a real show. Don’t come here if you’re looking for a fruity mid-week pick-me-up; this demands serious contemplation. The oak and tannins stand out a bit on the finish after 5 days. Impressive wine. Drink over the next 5-8 years.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Retains full colour, initial tell-tale Viognier, subsumed & evolves into an enticing bouquet; integrated, well balanced & shapely; drinking very well & will hold a decade. Marvellous.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Summertime 2019 - Lake House and Arlington: This was a killer – delicious in every way. Overflowing richness and depth with decadent flavors of cassis, blackberry, smoked meats. The nose evolves over the course of the night, showing tropical fruits, berries, tobacco, sandalwood. So impressed with the balance of this wine – extracted fruit flavors seamlessly stitched into a tannic core. No signs of aging (other than great integration), but don't see utility in holding it either.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium red colour. Bright tone of red berries, some violet florals, a little dark spice. Fleshy, fully integrated, smooth, blend of red and dark berries, gently earth and dark spice characters, a little cherry-pip zest, a complete wine now, peaked.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Mid blood red to garnet edge showing some development. Perfumed bouquet of red and black fruits with red licorice, dried orange peel and dried herbs/red flowers. Medium bodied, the entry is smeared with sweet fruits: dried raspberry, red plum compote, red liquorice twists and black cherry. These flavours are enhanced with aromatic dried red flowers, nutmeg, star anise and dried blackberries. Juicy, with great flavour depth, excellent concentration, this is a serious wine that finishes long. The tannins are sweet and powdery, there is a richness in the mid-palate, but all balanced by a lively acidity that keeps the wine going forward. Alcohol at 14% is in check, and there is a grippy squeeze on the back palate. Not super complex, this is still a fabulous wine. Ends with dried blackberry and marinated red plums.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark ruby red. Opaque, fading slightly at the rim. Nose - Plum, apricot, chocolate. Rose, leathery. Raspberry, black tea, hay. Palate- Raspberry, silky tannins, black current, juniper berry.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Expansive nose of red fruits, white pepper, briar, elderflower and apricot kernel. Fine tannins draw along the long palate. Such a beautiful elegant rendition of shiraz. Fine wine indeed.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
black cherry, thyme, some raspberry coulis, peanut shells, and a sprinkle of five spice. red jube sweetness, which balances the savoury charcuterie’esque carry. Impeccable tannin flow and acid structure. A real wow wine .
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is Shiraz Viognier of the highest Australian order.
At this 9 year point, you can salivate over a rich, darkened black cherry appearance, a deeply perfumed nose, a powerful medium weight palate, and a firery, lingering finish. It's pristine and beautifully nuanced in its delivery. It's an intellectual's wine. A wine best served with food.
Expect black forest fruits, charcuterie, dried French herbs, ginger, honeycomb, cedar oak, and so much more. $85 (members price) is good bidding for this super classy, low volume cool climate red.
Small wonder it does so well on the secondary market. Drink 2016-2023. A Wozza 95/100 (4.2/5.0) from me.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Good deep colour. Gorgeous deep dark fruits and smooth refined spice, very ripe and fragrant. Silky, deeply flavoured, very ripe dark fruits with a lightly peppery spice. Blueberries, violets, raspberries, plums with liquorice and tar spice. Excellent intensity but super smooth.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Grapemates Christmas Party 2016: Violets, cherry, earthy nose. The palate is earthy as well, with plenty of bright fruit flowing across it. Well balanced, this is ageing nicely and I'd like to see it again in 4-5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A very bold and intense Clonakilla here - brim full of dark fruits, salted meats, and hints of licorice, apricot, spice and pepper. Really very concentrated for a Canberra wine, with fine tannins and just outstanding length. Almost yells for a big slab of meat.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wine Ark - Clonakilla tasting with Tim Kirk (wine ark alexandria): Blackberry, pepper, confected apricot, very slight liquorice, red berry, slight leather and earthiness. Blackberry, cream, leather, black pepper vie for attention in the mouth with talc textured, grippy tannins. Long. Okay.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was stunning last night. Decanted due to some sulfur and followed over a few hours. All kinds of meaty bloody game with mushrooms and umami. Great acids. This could be Rocks fruit from Washington. This put the 2010 Cayuse En Cerise squarely into the new world slot. (That wine was fantastic as well). It will definitely improve over next 3-5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Some years ago I was at the Clonakilla cellar door and was speaking to Bryan Martin about the drinking windows for the SV and he mentioned that for him, they started to drink well some 8 years from vintage. With this in mind, I decided to open a bottle last night. Half hour decant with minimal sediment. Hint of apricot on the nose, a product of the viognier co-fermented with the shiraz, all estate grown. Medium bodied with fine tannins. Full savoury, earth flavours with a touch of strawberry. Almost like a pumped up pinot. An excellent wine representing great drinking now but with more interest i am sure for the future. i look forward to my next bottle in a year or two.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Terroir-istes International - Australia-Clonakilla Vertical (Klein Constantia): CT: (Blind Tasting) Blend of Shiraz and Viognier. A mid-deep ruby colour with a hint of purple on the edges and a youthful appearance. Lifted perfume (rose, spice and violet) showing fresh mint, cool menthol freshness, milk chocolate, orange segments, baked clay, black fruit, cedar wood and a touch of vanilla pod. On the palate, the wine has vibrant fresh fruit, lifted and intense, with a creamy sweet textural entry yet sinewy and a generous warming cough syrup that runs to red cherry juice, cola tonic yet with threads of bright acidity. Medium to full-bodied, the tannins have width and are sweet and power soft; there is an excellent depth to the mid-palate and plenty of length. A nicely balanced wine that offers lively acidity offset with sweet, plump, ripe fruit, rich and youthful. It is a classy wine that exhibits good concentration whilst painting a long, detailed shape towards its close. There is also some spice from the stems, and the finish adds ripe red berries, and I found tree bark notes.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Another wonderful shiraz, this time a cool climate interpretation. There is so much going for this wine, but it is still very young. This will be awesome in 3 to 5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Screwcap. Initially opens very reticent and reductive with a meaty aroma. Given 30+ minutes of air, an amazing perfume emerges. Blackberry, concentrated pan juices, ink, five spice, and some alcohol. Juicy mouthfeel. Fine, yet expansive tannins. Mouth filling fruit; the flavour coming in waves. Impressive wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Violets and star anise on the nose when first poured. Then settles in to its red fruit spectrum, with apricot, ginger, pepper spices. Seamless, exotic palate with a weightless intensity. Really lovely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep ruby red with a black core. Lifted floral and spice fragrance. Ripe fruits and dried herbs, black spice, tar and licorice. Silky pure medium weight palate. Superb depth of flavour, long and very even. Delicious black and blue fruits, plums, blackcurrant, blueberry, violets, licorice, tar, with well integrated gamey/earthy characters. Gentle acidity and very fine tannins add to the lush silky feel. Superb structure and very fruit sweet ripe flavours. Delicious.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
8.5/10 - A HUGE improvement from when I last had it. It's really starting to come into its own now. This wine is red/dark fruit juicy good with some game thrown into the mix. Yet, it walks a thin line staying elegant and relatively restrained. Highly recommended.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Attractive aromas - red and black fruits, florals. The palate is silky, expansive, elegant. Even better on day 2. Reveals bacon fat, charcuterie, violets.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Red and black berries, florals, pine forest aromas. Silky, mid-weighted palate with fine tannins. Liquorice and green fig flavours in the mix too. Opens out nicely in the glass over an hour or two.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wonderful fragrant wine with forest floor red berry fruit. Opened beautifully in the glass over a couple of hours. Soft tannins coat the whole mouth producing a long finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Spicy, floral notes. Bright, flavors of strawberries and dark fruits, earthy. Slight sweetness. Medium body. Tannins are integrating; can use a little more time to soften and mature. The spices and fruit combine into a mouth filling long finish. Very nicely done.
This was an exceptionally nice wine. I still fine Australian offerings too "rich" and not austere enough compared to CdR, but this one was distinctive without being over the top. The viognier note added a floral touch, but was tamed by a silky smooth Syrah that was long in mouth, and with a nicely tar/earthy afternote.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Austere complex sublime shiraz viognier with great balanced meaty, gamey flavors and aromas. The softness of the finish lingers for 90+ seconds. Fantastic wine
Drank alongside a 2008 Cayuse Armada. The Clonakilla was just the sophisticated beautiful women, whilst the Cayuse was more of Sheena Queen of the jungle
Alcohol :: 14% Opened for 60mins. Bacon fat and eucalyptus oil that grow in the glass accompany by blueberry liquer and red floral scent. Full bodied. Opulent and slightly warmer than the 09. Drivn by sweet concentrate dark fruits but also with a touch of mineral runnin at the background. The tannin is also much softer and almost fully integrated. The length wasnt great but it becomes longer but i thiught the 09 is just superior.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Recently read the “Heaven on Earth” article by Tyson Stelzer in the Dec/Jan ’13 Gourmet Traveller Wine magazine. It explained Clonakilla’s pioneering efforts in establishing a vineyard in the Canberra District and of the Shiraz Viognier blend in Australia. They have just celebrated the 20th vintage of this benchmark Australian wine.
Just flicked through the article again and it made mention of Clonakilla’s “characteristic granitic tannin structure”, which intrigued me. So I dived into the cellar to grab a bottle & find out exactly what this was referring to.
1 hour in the decanter. Everything seems so seamless with this wine. Silky. Pretty violets, white pepper and Chinese five spice. Kinda reminds me of Chinese masterstock. Dark fruits wrapped around its ferrous tannin structure. Now I understand the “granitic tannin” reference. Very long, lingering after taste of strawberries, cranberries and smoky bacon fat. Zippy acid on the finish.
Sublime. A wine for quiet, contemplative sipping than drinking at raucous dinner parties. Grab a bottle, find a quiet corner with a book and whittle the hours away with this. Excellent wine. If I were giving points, I’d say 96+ points. Tasted 4th April 2013 Source: $75 from winery newsletter
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
http://perthwine.me/2013/04/09/2008-clonakilla-shiraz-viognier-murrumbateman-nsw-14/ Recently read the “Heaven on Earth” article by Tyson Stelzer in the Dec/Jan ’13 Gourmet Traveller Wine magazine. It explained Clonakilla’s pioneering efforts in establishing a vineyard in the Canberra District and of the Shiraz Viognier blend in Australia. They have just celebrated the 20th vintage of this benchmark Australian wine.
Just flicked through the article again and it made mention of Clonakilla’s “characteristic granitic tannin structure”, which intrigued me. So I dived into the cellar to grab a bottle & find out exactly what this was referring to.
1 hour in the decanter.
Everything seems so seamless with this wine. Silky. Pretty violets, white pepper and Chinese five spice. Kinda reminds me of Chinese masterstock. Dark fruits wrapped around its ferrous tannin structure. Now I understand the “granitic tannin” reference. Very long, lingering after taste of strawberries, cranberries and smoky bacon fat. Zippy acid on the finish.
Sublime. A wine for quiet contemplative sipping than drinking at raucous dinner parties. Grab a bottle, find a quiet corner with a book and whittle the hours away with this.
Excellent wine. If I were giving points, I’d say 96+ points.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A good wine with muted tannins and excellent mouth feel. Real approachable and with good structure. Missing some of the fruit that would make this a real powerhouse wine. Could age for close to a decade, but doesn't need it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very good indeed. White pepper, floral (violets), cherry, tea and well balanced. Decanted a hour or so. I think it needs this. A trifle young I think. Pretty powerful, but not over the top. Miles away from S Aust Shiraz. Much closer in style to N Rhone, but perhaps a little heavier. Still a bit fruit driven and expect the complexity to come with more bottle age. Just great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
7.5/10 - Far too young to judge properly at this stage. Black and red berries with white pepper and a nice floral component. Tannins are slightly grainy and pretty heavy at this stage. The alcohol is distracting and quite disappointing in what would otherwise have been a decent wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bien, mais s'est fait détruire dans une dégustation à l'aveugle de syrah\shiraz. Avait un profil davantage sur le fruit que tous les vins du rhône que les autres ont amené..
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
lovely nose of charcouterie!, white pepper, plum, maybe blackb, some garrigue, fairly Rhone-like and yet almost Pinot Noir like; well structured, tannins that straddle the fence between powder and silk, good acidity, acidity and tannins throughout, 14% but surprisingly light on the palate - med-full bodied, flavs of pepper, fruit and a lot of sweet vanillary oak, it's good quality oak but it overwhelms a bit after some air - it's also a bit sweet on the palate. A very refined, elegant, well crafted version of the rich fruited oaky style with restraint and great balance and some interest with it's Rhone-like nose (even if it seems to become dominated by oak after a while). Perhaps just not my style, but I really wonder how it will age
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Voyager Estate Masterclass 2010 (North Sydney Cellars): Nose: perfume & red and black fruit Mouth: spice, black fruit and apricot, medium tannin, long finish. Oddly enough a little fruity for me and, perhaps, a touch to obvious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ruby colour with a soft and elegant nose. Red and black berries, floral notes of violet, tea and sweet spices. More of a Rhone style with peppery notes as well. More in the Old World style this ccol climate Shiraz is soft and restrained on the palate with a good overall balance and fine length of finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Enjoyable cool climate shiraz, but as is my preference for such shiraz needs some age in order to be great. Revisit in 4 years, drink at 6-15+ from vintage. 96
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Highly fragrant, Spicy bouquet, perfect balance between poise and power, really shouldn't be opened for at least another decade although sublime now. This wine is easily one of Clonakilla's best, from one of Australia's most exciting wineries. Beats anything out of the Northern Rhone at less than 10 times the price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
NobleRottersSydney - Shiraz-Viognier (Alio's, Surry Hills): [screwcap, 14%, $80] {Ron} Youthful nose of pepper, spice, cloves & cinnamon. Very young and imbued with potential. Viognier seems noticeable on nose but not intrusive, if you know what I mean. This faint exoticism on the nose follows onto the palate, with spicy red fruits, tensely wound fine powdery tannins, and a silky, velvety mouthfeel that remains dry. Lovely line of weight stretching the distance of the palate; medium-full bodied, with a long finish. Youthful yet drinkable, although it’s a pity to see such potential wasted, especially as it feels like it will bloom quite generously with some age (back label recommends 5-10 years, which is short but at least candid). Really grand wine, and the perfect riposte to those who find this varietal blend too sickly and structureless in local guise.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wine-Ark Cellar Club Tasting 9 - October 2009. Clonakilla, Yering Station, Olivier Taringa (Roof Terrace Australian Museum): Nose: perfumed, fruit then, very oddly, surgical spirit Mouth: Not much of anything other than grippy stalk tannin. Not very impressive, especially at this price (AUD 75 - rating 82 and adjusted down). Clonakilla knocked out a reasonably good Shiraz Viognier back in 05 that got big plaudits but it feels like they are resting on their laurels a bit (that's just my opinion I hasten to add!)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Kirsch, asian spices and red berries. Palate is richly fruited but is well balanced and drinks very silkily. Really lifted with more time in the glass. Let it rest in the bottle for now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
3/7/2024 - Cremuel Likes this wine: 91 Points
Bob's cellar. Nice garnet red, no evident bricking. Swirls of sharp cassis pinched with redcurrant, spicy menthol, twist of black cherry nose. A little dryness on opening tasting, but this is washed away by delicious red berries, cassis and damson, peppery spice, and a nicely done dash of tannic grip. With some air, crunchy red fruit comes through, funky forest floor. Really good.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/10/2024 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deeply coloured, bright red with black core.
Bright, intense fragrance. Dark spice, red berries, blood plum, damson, rich cassis.
Fruit flavours drive the impression, rich and sweet, but with excellent structure, finessed, lithe, refined. Primary fruits still set the profile, gentle secondary flavours only, youthful. Hints of dark tar spice, licorice, graphite. Silky, stylish and delicious.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/9/2024 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
So I really liked this wine. Could have been a Napa syrah. Great fruit, complex, fairly smooth, very nice finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2023 - Cremuel wrote: 90 Points
Bob's cellar. Deep red, no bricking evident. Nose is deep damson, cassis, lovely stewed black fruit, rich and delicious. The Viognier hits your palate (in a good way) initially, it's complex and layered. Vegetal notes bubble up to the top, and there's a sharp red fruit behind. Tannins are still peppery, and in control. Nice wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/2/2023 - john_s Likes this wine:
Barely ready to my taste. The combination of screw cap and excellent cellaring conditions make for a very long time for maturation. Côte Rôtie under cork takes long enough, but for someone of my age this wine is problematic. What I should have done 12 or so years ago was store it in a kitchen cupboard.
Apart from that, it's a lovely wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/14/2023 - Avid Wino wrote: 95 Points
Deli meats, red fruits, exotic spice, ample length, dreamy tongue coating feel good tannin, supreme balance. Worthy accompaniment to a 50th birthday meal, though life got in the way of those plans and we’re a few days past.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/15/2022 - Geerath Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dec22- Screwcap, some sediment. Slowox 3 hrs. Ruby red, translucent on the rim. (red)berries and cream, with a subtle reductive biltong, dried herbs sous bois underlay. Palate has a lovely savoury red fruited, dried cranberry + licorice kind of vibe. Tannins almost completely integrated, with just a small uplift of interwoven pepper and acid fanning out at the end, giving vibrancy. This is an outstanding wine, and I’m throughly impressed. Clearly not at the end of its drinking window for me, but at a great spot all the same and over the next 6 yrs+. 95
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2022 - Vaughanwallace wrote: 94 Points
In great shape. Drinking really well
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/12/2022 - tanduybui Likes this wine: 92 Points
This bottle was much better than the one I had a few months ago so a re-evaluation. It had life, definition, power and much more drinkable. Who said there is no bottle variation with screw cap.
Bright ruby. Complex bouquet that is dominated by floral notes, spice / white pepper, cherry and a hint of rose petal. Palate was humming with freshness accompanied by dark plums or berries, peppery and with a sweetness undertone. Tannin was present with vanilla oak quite present. The finish was long although not satisfying. The wine had power but missing the grace on the finish which let it down.
Drink now to 7+ years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/17/2022 - chatters wrote:
Blind Tasting Australian Shiraz (Taylor's wines, Alexandria): Medium minus intensity aromas of charcuterie, savoury, meaty, blackberry and black pepper with a little red berry underpin. Chalky tannins dominate the palate, the fruit is a little dried out but does grown with time. A good decant should help.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/31/2022 - brisbane piefan Likes this wine: 96 Points
Beautiful. No rush at all. Perfumed and spicy with dark fruits and a subtle wash of pepper.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/8/2022 - BAJRiley Likes this wine: 94 Points
Appearance: showing good developed but not too much bricking. Medium+ intensity nose that is fragrant and showing lots of pepper, black fruits, some meat and herbs.
Palate: medium+ body. Fine tannins, acidity is still bright for its age. Great balance and concentration. Has softened nicely. Outstanding. Alas, my last bottle from 2008.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/8/2022 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very happy with my first bottle of three. Concentrated fruit. Some acidity.
drink or hold.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/26/2022 - tanduybui Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine needs more time and right now, it is still somewhat unintegrated. The role of the viognier is quite prominent, currently giving it a perfume lift and raciness. Certainly it helped with smoothing out the tannin which is still quite present.
So why is not a great wine? Yes, it ticks all the boxes but it is very linear - straight as an arrow with the taste profile not truly changing from front to back palate. And it does not have the depth at this stage but this could change. It is Rhone like as there is a hint of that rustiness but not too much.
Drink in 5+ years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/24/2022 - Dsen Likes this wine: 92 Points
Needed a longer decant !
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2022 - JonathanP wrote: 94 Points
Screw cap. Decanted for 3 hours. Bloody beautiful and still quite youthful. Nose is a complex and savoury mix of dark fruits, red berries, charcuterie, blood and bone, bramble, earth, some floral notes and spices. Not peppery. Very refined on the palate where there is excellent drive and focus. Medium to full bodied, and tannins are present but very lithe and well on their way to resolution. Excellent balance with all parts of the choir singing from the same sheet of music. Drink now with a decent breathing or let rest for 5-10 years.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/30/2021 - Rote Kappelle Likes this wine: 95 Points
Scored using the Cellar Tracker scale as 'Outstanding'. My note is made courtesy of a very good friend who poured some for me. I believe I was tasting on day 2. The swine made my inferior palate work hard, because he did/would not tell me the variety. I really need the crutch of the label to help me, otherwise in blind tastings I have a terrifying tendency to veer off into strange territory, like a Be-bop sax player in a swing band. It is interesting, but just not good.
The colour is quite deep, with great persistence, promising power as befits a great, war, year. The colour suggests a wine out of nappies but there is little evidence of bricking.
The nose shows charcuterie, red fruits, berries , but also some darker characters. There is perfumed lift as well. At first I wondered if this wasn't a really bulky Grenache based wine. There is a note of black pepper that takes one to Shiraz, however.
The palate puts to rest Grenache; the tannins are supple and fine but not sandy, nor of the type I associate with Grenache. The palate feel is also not Grenache. This wine is both round and full, intense and long but not heavy. The acid remains fresh and the flavours are still mostly in the primary spectrum. If asked I would have said, based on colour and palate, a wine past the first flush of youth - perhaps 5-7 years.
Depending on closure and cellaring conditions, I think this has plenty of time ahead. However, it is ready to go now and it is splendid drinking. I want to throw a CK vintage into a tasting of Cote Rotie. I think the results could be very interesting. Many thanks to my very generous friend. Although a New Zealander, he has many good qualities.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/29/2021 - Dr S Likes this wine: 96 Points
In a beautiful place. Dark garnet still. High-toned nose of dark plum and raspberry, with some dried herb embroidery. Clarity and purity sum it up.
Similar clean, pure flavours run the length of the refined palate. Everything in its place. Still fresh and long. This is on a long plateau, for at least another 10 years, but is superb drinking now.
It owes as much to Burgundy as it does Cote Rotie. A close friend, who’s a hard core (neo) Burgundyphile, said it reminded him of ‘very good Chambertin’. An apt parallel.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/5/2021 - Vaughanwallace wrote: 94 Points
Sour cherries. Full fleshy fruit. Very clonakilla. Really good. Drink soon.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/14/2021 - Vaughanwallace wrote: 95 Points
Medium bodied. Sour cherries and tart to start with. Long finish - no peppery notes to speak of. Plenty to go.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2021 - Dr S Likes this wine: 97 Points
In stunning form (and a perfect way to say adieu to a more imperfect year than usual). Agree it looked even better on night two.
Good colour still with bricking starting to show.
Close your eyes and the nose could be top class Cote Rotie. Lifted notes, hung meat/charcuterie, exotic spices, and, for the first time with the 08, a CR dark herb streak that I associate with the original Cka vineyards (before the T&L block became part of the mix, from Tim the winemaker and his amazing wife Lara’s own block next door).
The palate is beautifully poised, everything so well proportioned. Both SV components melded, red cherry and dark berries, savoury tannin resolved - lovely smooth texture. Great line and structure.
Further proof that the SVs come into their stride at the 12 year mark. In March 2019, the 08 SV looked a little hot, reflecting the year. Tasted twice in 2020, it looks to have entered its maturing drinking window, richer, more complex, no heat. Lovely now but miles ahead (PS the 1994, the third ‘prototype’ SV with Pinot, tasted two weeks before Xmas was alluring and alive, another 10 if not 20 years left). Life is good.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/14/2020 - Vaughanwallace wrote: 93 Points
Dry and tannic. Leave for a while longer.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2020 - Bromie Likes this wine: 92 Points
Little bricking, sweet brambles on the nose, some secondary flavours. Better the second day so would maybe benefit from decanting?
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/29/2020 - Vaughanwallace wrote: 93 Points
Vibrant cool climate Shiraz. Drinking well. Still seems young
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/21/2020 - deverett wrote: 95 Points
Fantastic edition of this wonderful wine, beautifully aged, still highly fragrant and spicy, fruit is elegant yet deeply rich and long. Loved it.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/20/2020 - brisbane piefan Likes this wine: 97 Points
Beautiful wine. Highly perfumed nose, medium bodied and long. Spectacular drinking now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/9/2020 - guehling wrote:
It broke when a 1962 Margaux bottle feel into the create and broke it. It smells so nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
5/17/2020 - Isaac L Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow this was singing - possibly the most amazing nose on a shiraz viognier from Clonakilla, full of lush ripe raspberries, depth of floral aromas, and a smidge of vanillin. With about an hour of air the wine was drinking wonderfully, lush and soft on the palate, almost coaxing you to embrace it. Almost a complete Clonakilla sv profile, but didn't detect much white pepper from this. Practically impossible to find back vintages outside of Australia, though on this showing I will certainly be keeping a lookout for more bottles! Drinking at peak with at least 5 good years ahead of it.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/9/2020 - darren81 Likes this wine:
8.5/10 - Drinking quite well now but still a long way to go. Dan described it as light but with body. Sounds oxymoronic but I see where he's coming from. Almost like an iron fist in a velvet glove
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/8/2020 - mphatic Likes this wine:
Screwcap, 14% alc. Still a deep red with dark crimson hue, but paler than at youth.
Rather savoury aromas of raspberry, blackberry, smoked meat, tobacco, cherry, and orange peel. It requires quite a bit of coaxing to come alive.
In the mouth, the wine presents a relatively subdued, yet complex, palate of sour raspberry, mixed spices, menthol, tobacco, graphite, star anise, and soap, and a gentle lift that I usually associate with viognier addition in Shiraz. Plentiful, very fine, dusty tannins have quite some grip on the palate; combined with the oak, they slightly overpower the fruit initially. With air-time, the savoury fruit comes alive. This has quite some drive and length for a light-medium bodied wine.
Opinion: Quite a brambly, earthy, savoury red that builds depth and power as it breathes and warms up to room temperature. The aromas and flavours are relatively discreet and monotone at first, before slowly unravelling and putting on a real show. Don’t come here if you’re looking for a fruity mid-week pick-me-up; this demands serious contemplation. The oak and tannins stand out a bit on the finish after 5 days. Impressive wine. Drink over the next 5-8 years.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2019 - chbeaumont wrote: 93 Points
Retains full colour, initial tell-tale Viognier, subsumed & evolves into an enticing bouquet; integrated, well balanced & shapely; drinking very well & will hold a decade. Marvellous.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/30/2019 - Vaughanwallace wrote: 94 Points
Smokey. Almost sour cherries. Delicious lighter style
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/1/2019 - Vaughanwallace wrote: 94 Points
Real tertiary character to it now. Dry savoury. Very Rhone style. Time to drink.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/17/2019 - pgb67 wrote: 97 Points
Summertime 2019 - Lake House and Arlington: This was a killer – delicious in every way. Overflowing richness and depth with decadent flavors of cassis, blackberry, smoked meats. The nose evolves over the course of the night, showing tropical fruits, berries, tobacco, sandalwood. So impressed with the balance of this wine – extracted fruit flavors seamlessly stitched into a tannic core. No signs of aging (other than great integration), but don't see utility in holding it either.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2019 - Softie wrote:
Drank better on night +1 than first night opened.
May have peaked but, given the above, still can easily handle and should be given a good decant and more than 30 minutes to breath.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/23/2019 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium red colour.
Bright tone of red berries, some violet florals, a little dark spice.
Fleshy, fully integrated, smooth, blend of red and dark berries, gently earth and dark spice characters, a little cherry-pip zest, a complete wine now, peaked.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2018 - Vaughanwallace wrote: 94 Points
Excellent. Dark stone fruit. Smokey spice. Drinking well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/9/2018 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 92 Points
Mid blood red to garnet edge showing some development.
Perfumed bouquet of red and black fruits with red licorice, dried orange peel and dried herbs/red flowers.
Medium bodied, the entry is smeared with sweet fruits: dried raspberry, red plum compote, red liquorice twists and black cherry. These flavours are enhanced with aromatic dried red flowers, nutmeg, star anise and dried blackberries. Juicy, with great flavour depth, excellent concentration, this is a serious wine that finishes long. The tannins are sweet and powdery, there is a richness in the mid-palate, but all balanced by a lively acidity that keeps the wine going forward. Alcohol at 14% is in check, and there is a grippy squeeze on the back palate. Not super complex, this is still a fabulous wine. Ends with dried blackberry and marinated red plums.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2018 - SimonPh Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/13/2018 - Dirtfurvino Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark ruby red. Opaque, fading slightly at the rim. Nose - Plum, apricot, chocolate. Rose, leathery. Raspberry, black tea, hay. Palate- Raspberry, silky tannins, black current, juniper berry.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/15/2018 - majamke Likes this wine: 95 Points
Expansive nose of red fruits, white pepper, briar, elderflower and apricot kernel. Fine tannins draw along the long palate. Such a beautiful elegant rendition of shiraz. Fine wine indeed.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/14/2018 - VinCapitan wrote: 95 Points
black cherry, thyme, some raspberry coulis, peanut shells, and a sprinkle of five spice. red jube sweetness, which balances the savoury charcuterie’esque carry. Impeccable tannin flow and acid structure. A real wow wine .
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2017 - Vaughanwallace wrote: 93 Points
Drank at the end of the night. Good spice and compared very well with northern rhones but perhaps a little flabby.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/27/2017 - Wozza Likes this wine: 95 Points
A secret midweek treat! And what a treat.
This is Shiraz Viognier of the highest Australian order.
At this 9 year point, you can salivate over a rich, darkened black cherry appearance, a deeply perfumed nose, a powerful medium weight palate, and a firery, lingering finish. It's pristine and beautifully nuanced in its delivery. It's an intellectual's wine. A wine best served with food.
Expect black forest fruits, charcuterie, dried French herbs, ginger, honeycomb, cedar oak, and so much more. $85 (members price) is good bidding for this super classy, low volume cool climate red.
Small wonder it does so well on the secondary market. Drink 2016-2023. A Wozza 95/100 (4.2/5.0) from me.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/13/2017 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Good deep colour.
Gorgeous deep dark fruits and smooth refined spice, very ripe and fragrant.
Silky, deeply flavoured, very ripe dark fruits with a lightly peppery spice. Blueberries, violets, raspberries, plums with liquorice and tar spice. Excellent intensity but super smooth.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/21/2016 - CamWheeler wrote: 91 Points
Grapemates Christmas Party 2016: Violets, cherry, earthy nose. The palate is earthy as well, with plenty of bright fruit flowing across it. Well balanced, this is ageing nicely and I'd like to see it again in 4-5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/11/2016 - azzah Likes this wine: 93 Points
A very bold and intense Clonakilla here - brim full of dark fruits, salted meats, and hints of licorice, apricot, spice and pepper. Really very concentrated for a Canberra wine, with fine tannins and just outstanding length. Almost yells for a big slab of meat.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/29/2016 - chatters wrote:
Wine Ark - Clonakilla tasting with Tim Kirk (wine ark alexandria): Blackberry, pepper, confected apricot, very slight liquorice, red berry, slight leather and earthiness. Blackberry, cream, leather, black pepper vie for attention in the mouth with talc textured, grippy tannins. Long. Okay.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/25/2016 - arthrovine wrote:
This was stunning last night. Decanted due to some sulfur and followed over a few hours. All kinds of meaty bloody game with mushrooms and umami. Great acids. This could be Rocks fruit from Washington. This put the 2010 Cayuse En Cerise squarely into the new world slot. (That wine was fantastic as well). It will definitely improve over next 3-5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/3/2016 - Redback Likes this wine:
Some years ago I was at the Clonakilla cellar door and was speaking to Bryan Martin about the drinking windows for the SV and he mentioned that for him, they started to drink well some 8 years from vintage. With this in mind, I decided to open a bottle last night. Half hour decant with minimal sediment. Hint of apricot on the nose, a product of the viognier co-fermented with the shiraz, all estate grown. Medium bodied with fine tannins. Full savoury, earth flavours with a touch of strawberry. Almost like a pumped up pinot. An excellent wine representing great drinking now but with more interest i am sure for the future. i look forward to my next bottle in a year or two.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/1/2016 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 94 Points
Terroir-istes International - Australia-Clonakilla Vertical (Klein Constantia): CT: (Blind Tasting) Blend of Shiraz and Viognier. A mid-deep ruby colour with a hint of purple on the edges and a youthful appearance. Lifted perfume (rose, spice and violet) showing fresh mint, cool menthol freshness, milk chocolate, orange segments, baked clay, black fruit, cedar wood and a touch of vanilla pod. On the palate, the wine has vibrant fresh fruit, lifted and intense, with a creamy sweet textural entry yet sinewy and a generous warming cough syrup that runs to red cherry juice, cola tonic yet with threads of bright acidity. Medium to full-bodied, the tannins have width and are sweet and power soft; there is an excellent depth to the mid-palate and plenty of length. A nicely balanced wine that offers lively acidity offset with sweet, plump, ripe fruit, rich and youthful. It is a classy wine that exhibits good concentration whilst painting a long, detailed shape towards its close. There is also some spice from the stems, and the finish adds ripe red berries, and I found tree bark notes.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/24/2016 - Andrew67 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Another wonderful shiraz, this time a cool climate interpretation. There is so much going for this wine, but it is still very young. This will be awesome in 3 to 5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/27/2016 - mphatic Likes this wine:
Screwcap. Initially opens very reticent and reductive with a meaty aroma. Given 30+ minutes of air, an amazing perfume emerges.
Blackberry, concentrated pan juices, ink, five spice, and some alcohol.
Juicy mouthfeel. Fine, yet expansive tannins. Mouth filling fruit; the flavour coming in waves.
Impressive wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/25/2016 - fizz wrote: 92 Points
Violets and star anise on the nose when first poured. Then settles in to its red fruit spectrum, with apricot, ginger, pepper spices. Seamless, exotic palate with a weightless intensity. Really lovely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/21/2016 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep ruby red with a black core.
Lifted floral and spice fragrance. Ripe fruits and dried herbs, black spice, tar and licorice.
Silky pure medium weight palate. Superb depth of flavour, long and very even. Delicious black and blue fruits, plums, blackcurrant, blueberry, violets, licorice, tar, with well integrated gamey/earthy characters. Gentle acidity and very fine tannins add to the lush silky feel. Superb structure and very fruit sweet ripe flavours. Delicious.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/8/2015 - cliffkol wrote: 92 Points
Bouquet of dark fruits, floral. Deep, luscious flavors of dark fruits, strawberries, oak, earth. Complex and layered.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/16/2015 - darren81 Likes this wine:
8.5/10 - A HUGE improvement from when I last had it. It's really starting to come into its own now. This wine is red/dark fruit juicy good with some game thrown into the mix. Yet, it walks a thin line staying elegant and relatively restrained. Highly recommended.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/27/2015 - fizz wrote: 93 Points
Attractive aromas - red and black fruits, florals. The palate is silky, expansive, elegant. Even better on day 2. Reveals bacon fat, charcuterie, violets.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/13/2015 - JonnyG wrote:
Erroneously posted a Viognier note to this wine but cannot seem to delete, so sorry!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
2/2/2015 - fizz wrote: 91 Points
Red and black berries, florals, pine forest aromas. Silky, mid-weighted palate with fine tannins. Liquorice and green fig flavours in the mix too. Opens out nicely in the glass over an hour or two.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/30/2014 - Softie wrote:
See Rooman 26 August 2014 TN - spot on assessment.
I loved this bottle - and five more in the cellar! Ya!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/26/2014 - rooman Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wonderful fragrant wine with forest floor red berry fruit. Opened beautifully in the glass over a couple of hours. Soft tannins coat the whole mouth producing a long finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/21/2014 - cliffkol wrote: 91 Points
Spicy, floral notes. Bright, flavors of strawberries and dark fruits, earthy. Slight sweetness. Medium body. Tannins are integrating; can use a little more time to soften and mature. The spices and fruit combine into a mouth filling long finish. Very nicely done.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
5/5/2014 - lvjohn wrote: 90 Points
Pleasant enough, but not very exciting right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/29/2014 - Pinotphile123 wrote: 93 Points
Bit on the lighter side than I would have expected but great flavor/structure so still very happy with. Great wine and could develop further.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/11/2014 - lvjohn wrote: 88 Points
May have peaked. Didn't taste badly, but there was not much going on in the glass. Used the remainder in a beef stew.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
3/8/2014 - bacchusnyon wrote: 91 Points
This was an exceptionally nice wine. I still fine Australian offerings too "rich" and not austere enough compared to CdR, but this one was distinctive without being over the top. The viognier note added a floral touch, but was tamed by a silky smooth Syrah that was long in mouth, and with a nicely tar/earthy afternote.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/7/2013 - arthrovine wrote: 93 Points
Austere complex sublime shiraz viognier with great balanced meaty, gamey flavors and aromas. The softness of the finish lingers for 90+ seconds. Fantastic wine
Drank alongside a 2008 Cayuse Armada. The Clonakilla was just the sophisticated beautiful women, whilst the Cayuse was more of Sheena Queen of the jungle
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
5/2/2013 - Sleepy Dave wrote: 90 Points
Alcohol :: 14%
Opened for 60mins. Bacon fat and eucalyptus oil that grow in the glass accompany by blueberry liquer and red floral scent. Full bodied. Opulent and slightly warmer than the 09. Drivn by sweet concentrate dark fruits but also with a touch of mineral runnin at the background. The tannin is also much softer and almost fully integrated. The length wasnt great but it becomes longer but i thiught the 09 is just superior.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/4/2013 - Kevint Likes this wine: 96 Points
http://perthwine.me/2013/04/09/2008-clonakilla-shiraz-viognier-murrumbateman-nsw-14/
Recently read the “Heaven on Earth” article by Tyson Stelzer in the Dec/Jan ’13 Gourmet Traveller Wine magazine. It explained Clonakilla’s pioneering efforts in establishing a vineyard in the Canberra District and of the Shiraz Viognier blend in Australia. They have just celebrated the 20th vintage of this benchmark Australian wine.
Just flicked through the article again and it made mention of Clonakilla’s “characteristic granitic tannin structure”, which intrigued me. So I dived into the cellar to grab a bottle & find out exactly what this was referring to.
1 hour in the decanter.
Everything seems so seamless with this wine. Silky. Pretty violets, white pepper and Chinese five spice. Kinda reminds me of Chinese masterstock. Dark fruits wrapped around its ferrous tannin structure. Now I understand the “granitic tannin” reference. Very long, lingering after taste of strawberries, cranberries and smoky bacon fat. Zippy acid on the finish.
Sublime. A wine for quiet, contemplative sipping than drinking at raucous dinner parties. Grab a bottle, find a quiet corner with a book and whittle the hours away with this.
Excellent wine. If I were giving points, I’d say 96+ points.
Tasted 4th April 2013
Source: $75 from winery newsletter
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/4/2013 - Kevint Likes this wine: 96 Points
http://perthwine.me/2013/04/09/2008-clonakilla-shiraz-viognier-murrumbateman-nsw-14/
Recently read the “Heaven on Earth” article by Tyson Stelzer in the Dec/Jan ’13 Gourmet Traveller Wine magazine. It explained Clonakilla’s pioneering efforts in establishing a vineyard in the Canberra District and of the Shiraz Viognier blend in Australia. They have just celebrated the 20th vintage of this benchmark Australian wine.
Just flicked through the article again and it made mention of Clonakilla’s “characteristic granitic tannin structure”, which intrigued me. So I dived into the cellar to grab a bottle & find out exactly what this was referring to.
1 hour in the decanter.
Everything seems so seamless with this wine. Silky. Pretty violets, white pepper and Chinese five spice. Kinda reminds me of Chinese masterstock. Dark fruits wrapped around its ferrous tannin structure. Now I understand the “granitic tannin” reference. Very long, lingering after taste of strawberries, cranberries and smoky bacon fat. Zippy acid on the finish.
Sublime. A wine for quiet contemplative sipping than drinking at raucous dinner parties. Grab a bottle, find a quiet corner with a book and whittle the hours away with this.
Excellent wine. If I were giving points, I’d say 96+ points.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2013 - RandyC Likes this wine: 93 Points
A good wine with muted tannins and excellent mouth feel. Real approachable and with good structure. Missing some of the fruit that would make this a real powerhouse wine. Could age for close to a decade, but doesn't need it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/13/2012 - Pinotphile123 wrote: 92 Points
This wine is just a pup and needs plenty more cellar ageing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/11/2011 - TiggerK wrote: 90 Points
Still way too young, needs a big decant. Once it opens up, the fruit is great, but I say keep em in the cellar for now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/15/2011 - pcwoz wrote: 93 Points
Very good indeed. White pepper, floral (violets), cherry, tea and well balanced. Decanted a hour or so. I think it needs this. A trifle young I think. Pretty powerful, but not over the top. Miles away from S Aust Shiraz. Much closer in style to N Rhone, but perhaps a little heavier. Still a bit fruit driven and expect the complexity to come with more bottle age. Just great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/21/2011 - darren81 wrote:
7.5/10 - Far too young to judge properly at this stage. Black and red berries with white pepper and a nice floral component. Tannins are slightly grainy and pretty heavy at this stage. The alcohol is distracting and quite disappointing in what would otherwise have been a decent wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/20/2011 - docwines wrote: 97 Points
Rhone style classic
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/7/2010 - Caudalie wrote:
Bien, mais s'est fait détruire dans une dégustation à l'aveugle de syrah\shiraz. Avait un profil davantage sur le fruit que tous les vins du rhône que les autres ont amené..
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/28/2010 - Bearbus wrote:
lovely nose of charcouterie!, white pepper, plum, maybe blackb, some garrigue, fairly Rhone-like and yet almost Pinot Noir like; well structured, tannins that straddle the fence between powder and silk, good acidity, acidity and tannins throughout, 14% but surprisingly light on the palate - med-full bodied, flavs of pepper, fruit and a lot of sweet vanillary oak, it's good quality oak but it overwhelms a bit after some air - it's also a bit sweet on the palate. A very refined, elegant, well crafted version of the rich fruited oaky style with restraint and great balance and some interest with it's Rhone-like nose (even if it seems to become dominated by oak after a while). Perhaps just not my style, but I really wonder how it will age
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/8/2010 - chatters wrote:
Voyager Estate Masterclass 2010 (North Sydney Cellars): Nose: perfume & red and black fruit
Mouth: spice, black fruit and apricot, medium tannin, long finish. Oddly enough a little fruity for me and, perhaps, a touch to obvious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/6/2010 - Umay Ceviker wrote: 94 Points
Ruby colour with a soft and elegant nose. Red and black berries, floral notes of violet, tea and sweet spices. More of a Rhone style with peppery notes as well. More in the Old World style this ccol climate Shiraz is soft and restrained on the palate with a good overall balance and fine length of finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/2/2010 - AndrewJ Likes this wine: 96 Points
Enjoyable cool climate shiraz, but as is my preference for such shiraz needs some age in order to be great. Revisit in 4 years, drink at 6-15+ from vintage. 96
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/14/2009 - z17813 wrote: 97 Points
Highly fragrant, Spicy bouquet, perfect balance between poise and power, really shouldn't be opened for at least another decade although sublime now. This wine is easily one of Clonakilla's best, from one of Australia's most exciting wineries. Beats anything out of the Northern Rhone at less than 10 times the price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/2/2009 - graemeg wrote:
NobleRottersSydney - Shiraz-Viognier (Alio's, Surry Hills): [screwcap, 14%, $80] {Ron} Youthful nose of pepper, spice, cloves & cinnamon. Very young and imbued with potential. Viognier seems noticeable on nose but not intrusive, if you know what I mean. This faint exoticism on the nose follows onto the palate, with spicy red fruits, tensely wound fine powdery tannins, and a silky, velvety mouthfeel that remains dry. Lovely line of weight stretching the distance of the palate; medium-full bodied, with a long finish. Youthful yet drinkable, although it’s a pity to see such potential wasted, especially as it feels like it will bloom quite generously with some age (back label recommends 5-10 years, which is short but at least candid). Really grand wine, and the perfect riposte to those who find this varietal blend too sickly and structureless in local guise.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/1/2009 - chatters wrote: 80 Points
Wine-Ark Cellar Club Tasting 9 - October 2009. Clonakilla, Yering Station, Olivier Taringa (Roof Terrace Australian Museum): Nose: perfumed, fruit then, very oddly, surgical spirit
Mouth: Not much of anything other than grippy stalk tannin.
Not very impressive, especially at this price (AUD 75 - rating 82 and adjusted down). Clonakilla knocked out a reasonably good Shiraz Viognier back in 05 that got big plaudits but it feels like they are resting on their laurels a bit (that's just my opinion I hasten to add!)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/31/2009 - CamWheeler wrote: 92 Points
Kirsch, asian spices and red berries. Palate is richly fruited but is well balanced and drinks very silkily. Really lifted with more time in the glass. Let it rest in the bottle for now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment