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Astralis 2010 75cl

McLaren Vale | South Australia | Australia
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Critics scores
100 Robert Parker
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2010 Astralis is still quite primary eliciting aromas of black plums, blueberry compote and blackcurrant liqueur with a savory and baking spice undercurrent plus a fragrant whiff of violets. Very structured, fine and complex in the medium to full-bodied mouth, this wine is revealing much more than when I first tasted it a year ago and is now showing layer upon layer of black fruit preserves, mocha, toast and spices before finishing with great length. Extraordinary wine. Approachable now, it should cellar to 2030+. I am grateful to Roman Bratasiuk for presenting me with small verticals from his cellar of some of his greatest vineyard sources for this report, including the Merlot (as an indication that Merlot can do well in Australia!), the Old Vines/Romas Vineyard Grenache and a vertical of the Astralis vineyard Shiraz going back to 1991. Readers should note that the 2011 vintage Clarendon Hills wines are being released a little later than usual and therefore were not available for tasting in time for this report. However, I have been informed that they will be available for tasting very soon and will hopefully make the South Australia report.
Producer
Clarendon Hills
Clarendon Hills is one of the world’s greatest wineries, it was founded in 1990 by the genius oenologist, Roman Bratasiuk in Clarendon, South Australia. Structured solely on Bratasiuk’s refined worldly palate, the estate carefully follows each step of the winemaking process – from vine to bottle. Robert Parker highlighted their successes in 1996 by awarding them one of his “Wine Producers of the Year,” he even described the first release of their Astralis in 1994 as a “bigger, denser, more concentrate wine than the Grange”. The pure Syrah wine is unfiltered and unfined, full of ripe fruit and aged in French oak, while uncharacteristic of the region, the Astralis grows in depth and dimension with age. Astralis is a timeless wine, and as their Grand Vin it is also one of the most sought after wines, ranking amongst the top 100 wines of the century. Today, Alex and Adam Bratasiuk are continuing in their father’s footsteps, Adam focuses on the viniculture practices, while Alex manages the domaine. This respected Australian producer also crafts several other outstanding reds, including Syrahs, Grenaches, and Cabernet Sauvignons.