One of my favorite wineries out of Australia is Clarendon Hills. They are a unique winery in that they are dedicated to single-vineyard wines. It is really cool to see the variation in vineyards from year to year.
Clarendon Hills is known for rich and inky Shiraz but they also make great Cabernet and Grenache. I found their 2006 Grenache to be the best expression of Grenache from Australia that I've ever tasted. Unlike many Aussie wineries, the wines at Clarendon Hills are held back, so they have a chance to properly age. Their current release is 2010, whereas most other Aussie wineries are releasing their 2011s or 2012s. Their high end wine, Australis, recently received a perfect 100 points from Robert Parker. Yeah, these guys are that good. These wines also age exceptionally well, as I have had some older vintages of both Shiraz and Grenache that are 10 years old.
Here are some of the fantastic Clarendon Hills wines that I've sampled recently. While they are pricey, they are definitely worth a splurge. Most can be found online.
#clardendonhills #clarendonhillswinery
2007 Clarendon Hills 'Bakers Gully' Shiraz- This wine has an inky color and I get anise and black pepper on the nose. Palate has great viscosity and has black tea, black cherry, anise and black pepper. Delicious now. -92
2006 Clarendon Hills 'Brookman' Shiraz- Compelling nose. Blueberry, violet, rose petals and red cherry. Palate is viscous and concentrated. Prune, black cherry, creme de cassis, smoke and tar. Minerality is fascinating for an Aussie Shiraz. Winemaking is exceptional. Drink now. -94
2007 Clarendon Hills 'Brookman' Cabernet- Tar and anise on the nose with some oak. Palate has great depth and richness. Good balance and has blackberry, anise and cassis on the palate with olive and black cherry. Nice terroir. Drink in 1-2 years. -91
2007 Clarendon Hills 'Hickenbothem' Grenache- Perfumed nose with rose petals and pomegranate on the nose. Palate has great minerality and freshness. Raspberry, pomegranate, red cherry and lavender. Delicious and needs an hour of decanting to achieve it's potential. Drink now or cellar for 1-2 years. -93