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Clonakilla
Clonakilla is an Australian winery based in the Canberra wine region of Murrumbateman, New South Wales. Clonakilla was established in 1971 by present owner John Kirk. Clonakilla is a small, family winery dedicated to making distinctive, handcrafted wines. The wines are made in limited quantities and can be a little hard to find. They are worth the search.
Clonakilla makes a range of wines, but the speciality is that the wines made from two varieties which have their original home in the Northern Rhone valley in France: Syrah (Shiraz in Australia) and Viognier. The flagship is a Shiraz Viognier blend, produced from a selection of the best grapes in a single twelve hectare vineyard. The Shiraz Viognier is described by James Halliday as having "icon status" and as being the best example of this wine style in Australia. Jancis Robinson has identified it as the "pioneer" of the blend in Australia.
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Clonakilla Hill Top Shiraz 2008
Intense color, striking aroma and generous, full-flavored palate. Loaded with ripe blackberry fruit pushed along by a late surge of blackcurrant and spice, the warmth of the autumn radiates through every part of this wine. Great now if you love a powerful red, but leave some in the cellar for five to ten years to taste its full potential.
94 points - James Halliday’s Wine Companion 2010 |
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Clonakilla O’Raida Shiraz 2008
The 2008 O’Riada Shiraz is made from fruit selected from four vineyards around the villages of Murrumbateman and Hall. The winemaking included the use of pre-ferment maceration, whole bunches, warm extended ferments, 6% co-fermented Viognier and twelve months maturation in French oak, 30% new. The warmth of the 2008 vintage shines through with a rich aroma of blackberry, dark cherry, rose petal and spice; wonderfully fragrant with a silky, medium bodied palate. Drink now after decanting or cellar for five to ten years.
94 Points - Campbell
Mattinson, The Wine Front, July 21, 2009
Robert Parker: 92 points |
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Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier 2009
Deeply colored; the bouquet is almost backward and is slow to reveal the intricate layers of black fruits that lie therein; time reveals succulent black fruits, minerals, fine spices and a touch of fresh garden herbs; the palate delivers a wonderful mixture of opulent fruit, savory complexity, and silky fine tannins that persist for an incredibly long time; only at the very end do you get a glimpse of the fine oak in use; certain to be long-lived. To 2025.
97 points - James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion 2011
Robert Parker: 95+ points |
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