Clarendon Hills

'Astralis' Shiraz 2012

The wines of Clarendon Hills are what legends are made of. Roman Bratasiuk taught himself to make wine when he purchased the McLaren Vale property in 1990. He discovered nearby vineyards of Shiraz and Grenache; bush vines that had been planted in the 1920s and 1940s producing exorbitantly small, but concentrated and complex fruit. His single vineyard Astralis Shiraz has become a mainstay on wine award lists. The Romas vineyard produces velvety Shiraz and Grenache, as does the Onkaparinga vineyard which used to supply Penfold’s Grange. Where the Astralis sees 100% new oak, the Grenache from Romas and Onkaparinga see 18 months in used oak. In all cases, wines are richly layered and highly praised.