2001 Clarendon Hills Astralis Shiraz - 99 pts - 750ml

The inky/blue/black/purple-colored 2001 Shiraz Astralis boasts an extraordinary bouquet of graphite blackberry liqueur espresso acacia flowers and licorice. Fabulously concentrated with a presence on the palate that must be tasted to be believed it possesses beautifully integrated tannin as well as enormous weight and richness but it is not over the top. Bratasiuk calls it his "Guigal Cote Rotie La Turque" and he's not far off. The Astralis is just denser and even more extracted.I have been a believer in Bratasiuk's top Shiraz cuvee Astralis since the first vintage. Made from 70-75-year old non-irrigated "bush" vines (head-pruned) this 600-700 case cuvee sees 100% new French oak and generally requires 4-8 years of cellaring. The 1996 tasted several months ago needed 48 hours in a decanter to unfold. It merited a score of 95+ but it should not be touched for another 8-10 years. Obviously this type of wine is not for everybody but if the winemaker's goal is to make one of the world's greatest wines Roman Bratasiuk has succeeded. For me it is one of the greatest two or three Australian Shiraz being made. Moreover it is a single vineyard offering not some creation of a giant corporation's committee. RP

Varietal	Syrah
Vintage	2001
Rating	RP 99
Bottle Size	750 ml
Bottle Quantity	1
Country	Australia
Region	South Australia
Location	Clarendon
Producer	Clarendon Hills
Color	Red
Wine Type

Rating

RP 99 - 2001 Clarendon Hills Astralis Syrah - 99 Pts! The inky/blue/black/purple-colored 2001 Shiraz Astralis boasts an extraordinary bouquet of graphite blackberry liqueur espresso acacia flowers and licorice. Fabulously concentrated with a presence on the palate that must be tasted to be believed it possesses beautifully integrated tannin as well as enormous weight and richness but it is not over the top. Bratasiuk calls it his "Guigal Cote Rotie La Turque" and he's not far off. The Astralis is just denser and even more extracted.I have been a believer in Bratasiuk's top Shiraz cuvee Astralis since the first vintage. Made from 70-75-year old non-irrigated "bush" vines (head-pruned) this 600-700 case cuvee sees 100% new French oak and generally requires 4-8 years of cellaring. The 1996 tasted several months ago needed 48 hours in a decanter to unfold. It merited a score of 95+ but it should not be touched for another 8-10 years. Obviously this type of wine is not for everybody but if the winemaker's goal is to make one of the world's greatest wines Roman Bratasiuk has succeeded. For me it is one of the greatest two or three Australian Shiraz being made. Moreover it is a single vineyard offering not some creation of a giant corporation's committee. RP

Wine Spectator

Burghound

Varietal	Syrah
Vintage	2001
Rating	RP 99
Bottle Size	750 ml
Bottle Quantity	1
Country	Australia
Region	South Australia
Location	Clarendon
Producer	Clarendon Hills
Color	Red
Wine Type