Community Tasting Notes 36

• Dr S Likes this wine: 94 points

  February 24, 2024 - In the mature (but not twilight, yet) zone. Colour foretells much. Translucent light brick rim before browning/brick, then dark red core.
  
  The nose instantly summons a learned judge’s comment at the Clonakilla 50th anniversary of the 2010. ‘Slightly vegetative Cote Rotie’, with ashy edges, charcuterie, tanned leather, then more New World cherry and plum, fennel seed too.
  
  Alluring nose but the palate consummates the liaison. Suave and silky, just a touch of grip to keep things interesting with chargrilled sirloin and other meaty thingies. Lovely, slinky and long. Better than good intensity, a long bow finish, with leathery and aniseed traces to give it a lick of complexity. The palate’s fresher than the nose suggests.
  
  I’m a fan of this Cka vintage. There are richer, more potent years. But I’d trade some of that for the silky wiles of the 2010s. Ready to roll.

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• Bruce Rolph wrote: 92 points

  February 18, 2024 - A cool season that has played out well. Pepper and spice that mellowed delightfully into the second day. Should happily evolve over 3-5 more years.

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• Cremuel Likes this wine: 89 points

  January 25, 2024 - Bob's cellar. Pnp, deep garnet red, no evident bricking. Nose is a blast of cherries and vanilla, a dash of bubblegum and white pepper. Bursts of peppery red cherries ht the tast buds, still some grippy tannin. Has incredible life. Will give some air and see how it evolves. Next day, still has a lot of white pepper, and still seems very young.

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• Dr S Likes this wine: 93 points

  June 12, 2023 - A week after the 10 Syrah restored itself in my favours, the SV reminded why for mine this is an unsung hero vintage for Clonakilla. Coming after a stellar run of mostly warm vintages, 2010 was up against it as the first cold wet vintage in a decade. The critics didn’t genuflect over the 10 as they had its predecessors, although Jermey Oliver lauded it as a worthy follow up to the 2009 that he had anointed his wine of the year (not the only time JO’s iconoclasm proved right and the herd mistaken). Today the 2010 would look almost regal after the wetter cooler years from 2021 on.
  
  Bricking rim, then reddish burgundy centre. Classic cool climate nose. Tons of spice, bacon bones and casserole-simmered herbs, softer raspberry and red fruits at its heart, aniseed whispers too.
  
  I love the deeply textured palate. The mouthfeel is superb, in the groove. Mellow, all the spicy savoury flavours of the nose envelope the mouth, and carry on the finish where a touch of grip adds to the interest, and satisfaction.
  
  Fully mature. It will glide on long and well towards the sunset, at least 5, perhaps 10 years away. I remember it as a few degrees richer in its youth than the 2021 but the mature characters signpost how the latter will likely evolve (although not as long - the 2012 might be the better point of comparison on that score).

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• Cremuel Likes this wine: 90 points

  March 31, 2023 - Bob's cellar. Deep dark ruby red. Nose is large, sweet black fruits, damson and plums, with a line of sharpness behind, red cherries and violets. White pepper, brisk redcurrants, sharpish tannins in the background, sprinkle of black pepper. From a pnp start, so needs time to integrate. A few hours later, still a bright redcurrant nose, pepperiness, black fruits are well hidden, needs to integrate a bit more.

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Pro Reviews 4

Wine Definition

• Vintage 2010
• Type Red
• Producer Clonakilla
• Varietal Shiraz Blend
• Designation Shiraz Viognier
• Vineyard n/a
• Country Australia
• Region New South Wales
• SubRegion Southern New South Wales
• Appellation Canberra District
• UPC Code 7350079965582

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 0 (0%)
• In Cellars 875 (70%)
• Consumed 380 (30%)

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