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Clarendon Hills Astralis
Last edited on 8/29/2023 by LindsayM
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Majesty, elegance and seamless power are some of the most enduring comments on the Astralis, who’s name comes from a reference to the night sky. Astralis is defined as a celestial body and or pertaining to the stars. Prestigious Australian wine company Langtons ranks Astralis amongst its highest echelon, the ‘Exceptional’ category alongside the iconic Grange and Hill of Grace wines. Clarendon Hills Astralis Syrah stands at the forefront of the contemporary ultra-fine wine movement. A superb vineyard, meticulous winemaking and personal expression all combine to create something out of the ordinary. Seemingly through sheer force of will, Roman Bratasiuk, a complex, visionary character, has shown a way forward for hundreds of hopeful, contemporary winemakers. Inspired by the classic South Australian wines of the 1950s and 1960s, particularly those of Penfolds, Bratasiuk, a former biochemist, bought the old Elysium winery at Blewitt Springs, near Clarendon in McLaren Vale.
By chance, he found the nearby four-hectare Astralis Vineyard was a source of Shiraz ‘as good as you can get’. The vines were originally planted in 1920 with 19th century colonial vine-stock derived from Chateau Reynella. The dry-grown, low-yielding and elevated vineyard, on a 45-degree slope, faces due east and has pebble-ridden clay topsoils over pure ironstone. The site was once trellised, but now these old vines are ‘farmed as they grow, without trellising’.
The winemaking is laissez-faire, seeking through minimum handling to preserve the intrinsic value of the vineyard’s personality. Vinification takes place in open, stainless-steel fermenters of varying size. Typically the wine will macerate on skins, post-ferment, for 14 to 16 days. It is then matured in new, 228-litre, ‘Burgundian’ pièces from Cadus for 18 months. The oak underpins the fruit, giving ‘fragrance, finesse and integration’. Astralis Syrah aims to reflect the winemaker’s idea of ‘varietal expressionism’, a non-interventionist philosophy that embraces ‘organic beauty’ and the natural character of the vintage. Bratasiuk wants to achieve ‘freshness, texture – and a style that my palate likes’.
The lyrical and beautiful Clarendon Hills Astralis Syrah is a highly complex and concentrated wine with dark licorice, blackberry, mocha aromas and chamomile, earthy, bitumen, herb-garden notes. It offers a kaleidoscope of aromas and flavours with dry, slinky tannins, plenty of fruit richness and underlying savoury oak. With age the wine develops panforte, dark chocolate, cedar, spicy aromas and superb, chocolaty textures. It is generally more muscular than typical McLaren Vale Shiraz and has compelling buoyancy, energy and length of flavour.
By chance, he found the nearby four-hectare Astralis Vineyard was a source of Shiraz ‘as good as you can get’. The vines were originally planted in 1920 with 19th century colonial vine-stock derived from Chateau Reynella. The dry-grown, low-yielding and elevated vineyard, on a 45-degree slope, faces due east and has pebble-ridden clay topsoils over pure ironstone. The site was once trellised, but now these old vines are ‘farmed as they grow, without trellising’.
The winemaking is laissez-faire, seeking through minimum handling to preserve the intrinsic value of the vineyard’s personality. Vinification takes place in open, stainless-steel fermenters of varying size. Typically the wine will macerate on skins, post-ferment, for 14 to 16 days. It is then matured in new, 228-litre, ‘Burgundian’ pièces from Cadus for 18 months. The oak underpins the fruit, giving ‘fragrance, finesse and integration’. Astralis Syrah aims to reflect the winemaker’s idea of ‘varietal expressionism’, a non-interventionist philosophy that embraces ‘organic beauty’ and the natural character of the vintage. Bratasiuk wants to achieve ‘freshness, texture – and a style that my palate likes’.
The lyrical and beautiful Clarendon Hills Astralis Syrah is a highly complex and concentrated wine with dark licorice, blackberry, mocha aromas and chamomile, earthy, bitumen, herb-garden notes. It offers a kaleidoscope of aromas and flavours with dry, slinky tannins, plenty of fruit richness and underlying savoury oak. With age the wine develops panforte, dark chocolate, cedar, spicy aromas and superb, chocolaty textures. It is generally more muscular than typical McLaren Vale Shiraz and has compelling buoyancy, energy and length of flavour.