Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier 2008

Description

Product Information: It was the “Year’s Best Shiraz” according to Huon Hooke who scored it 96 Points and a long resume positive testimonials. 2008 produced large crops of beautifully ripe fruit, a great outcome given the devastating frost the vines experienced just the year before. Upon release, Cambell Mattinson described the 2008 Shiraz Viognier as having ‘all its components in place, but isn’t up and running yet.’ We are happy to say, this well within its drinking range and still has years to go. As a young wine a was dense, chock-full of blackberry and soy and cherry-plum flavours and with a smattering of gamey spices. We can only imagine what is like now, but we would recommended opening one instead! The Shiraz was picked between March 17 and 31. This vintage was comprised of 94% Shiraz and 6% Viognier with 20% whole bunches were included in the ferments. A three-day cool, preferment maceration lead into largely un-inoculated ferments with temperatures peaking around the 33⁰ mark. Twelve months in wood, 30% new, with Francois Freres, Sirugue, Taransaud and Mercurey again being our preferred coopers. Maker: Clonakilla is an Australian winery located in the Canberra wine region of Murrumbateman, New South Wales. The winery was founded by Dr. John Kirk AM, an Irish biochemist who immigrated to Australia from the United Kingdom in 1968 to work as a research scientist at the CSIRO. The first vintage from the region was produced in 1976, and Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier has since become one of the most iconic Australian wines. The Shiraz Viognier blend was first introduced by Clonakilla in 1992, inspired by Tim Kirk’s visit to the Rhone Valley in France. The wine is a blend of Shiraz and Viognier grapes, with the Viognier adding a floral and aromatic complexity to the wine. Clonakilla’s Shiraz Viognier has received numerous accolades, including being named Wine of the Year by James Halliday in 2010 and receiving a perfect score from Robert Parker in 2015. In addition to Shiraz Viognier, Clonakilla produces other red and white wines, including Riesling, Viognier and Cabernet Sauvignon. Vineyard: A cool February lead into a very warm March with numerous days reaching thirty-five degrees Celsius. After the devastation of 2007 the vines came back with a vengeance in 2008 producing large crops of beautifully ripe fruit. Estate Shiraz was picked between March 17 and 31st, 20% whole bunches were included in the ferment with 6% Viognier. A three-day cool, preferment maceration lead into largely un-inoculated ferments with temperatures peaking around 33 degrees. Twelve months in oak, 30% new, with Francois Freres, Sirugue, Taransaud and Mercurey again being the preferred coopers. Nose – Chocolate, Blackberry, Spice Chocolaty bouquet with a hint of mint, a little vanilla. Lots of pip and plums with that distinct Canberra spice note. Palate – Silky Tannin, Powerful, Roast Meat A touch of dried herbs, superb oak integration, plush yet powerful tannins, layered, complex. Finish – Fine , Dried Herbs, Authoritative Finish Smooth flavours weave through a long, superfine mouthful, resting on very soft tannins. It develops very well with breathing. Chocolaty bouquet with a hint of mint, a little vanilla, the palate surprisingly big and powerful. A massive wine, full-bodied and complete. Very impressive. Years left in it. – Huon Hooke, The Real Review, 96 Points. It’s a dense, headstrong wine, chocked with blackberry, soy, eucalypt and cherry-plum flavours and flecked with trademark pepper spice. It has all its components in place, but it isn’t up and running yet. What strikes you about the wine as a youngster though is its nebbiolo-like shape. I’ve not seen this in a Clonakilla shiraz-viognier before. It’s almost light through the middle, before being strong and authoritative through the finish. Lighter in flavour but stronger in impact, perhaps. It should be great as a mature wine. – Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front, 95 Points. As expected the wine is young and buoyant, with a highly fragrant perfume of red fruit, fresh blackberry, violets, roast meat and a little tar; the palate reveals the true potential of this superb wine, with a cascading array of flavours and thrillingly silky tannin, poised acidity and a peacock’s tail on the very long and precise palate. – James Halliday. The Finer Details Style – Red Wine Varietal – Shiraz, Viognier Country – Australia Region – Canberra, ACT Vintage – 2008 Bottle Size – 750ml ABV – 14% Closure – Screw Cap