June 12, 2023 - Allowed to breath for one hour. Drunk on a single setting. Beautiful complex wine with great length. Has another 5 to 7 years life in it.
January 8, 2022 - Complex graphite and limestone based bouquet. I am a sucker for most Clarendon Hill selections, both the Syrahs and the Grenache. I had little on day one and found it to be classically (for a Syrah) sour. Day two it surprisingly closed up with a fairly limited front with tobacco hints, a non-existent middle and a better finish that left my mouth tasting like I had just finished a cigar. Solid structure, good ruby color, but nowhere near the best I have had from CH.
September 6, 2021 - 3 house decant. Most guessed this as a syrah but no one guessed Australia. Deep purple, good nose and good finish. Crowd was evenly divided between liking it very much and not liking it. I though it a solid wine that is drinking very well.
May 27, 2021 - Nice balance
December 20, 2020 - Dark, deep colour. Black fruits, but mostly leather and smoked meat notes. Rich and tannic. A big wine, not my regular go to style but a nice alternative to have once in a while.
November 13, 2020 - 😄noice
found relatively balanced - was expecting less
November 26, 2019 - The rating reflects my personal preference against syrupy fruit bombs. This one tasted just like a N.V. Cough Syrup. Yuck.
March 6, 2018 - This needed a good hour to shine but then it was outstanding. It developed a fantastic nose, great mouthfeel and long finish. Deep purple with intense fruit flavors. Great qpr. 93+
March 5, 2017 - Molta intensità , già evidente dal colore, naso carnoso di frutta nera - mora, mirtillo - ma non sopra le righe, anzi dotato di una eleganza che ha qualcosa di discreto, senza essere austera. Ingentilito da una lieve nota di menta che dona balsamicitá, alleggerito dal pepe nero macinato, con sottofondo di liquirizia e caffè. Al palato tannini polverosi, su una struttura importante, ma sorretta da una discreta spina acida. Finale che si distende bene.
February 15, 2017 - "Big Red Fruity Wine Night" with my wine group. All the wines were opened about 45 minutes prior to pouring. We had in order, 2012 Ridge Geyserville, 2013 Jax Y3 Taureau, 2014 Martinelli Zinfandel Jackass Vineyard, 2010 Shafer Relentless, 2009 Turley Zinfandel Mead Ranch, and the 2009 Clarendon Hills Syrah Hickinbotham.
Something has to finish last, right? For me, this was the one. It just wasn't as good as the other wines we had. Nothing wrong with it, just missing something to put it ahead of the others.