International Shiraz Day – Astralis Vineyard
Join us in celebrating the Astralis Vineyard for International Shiraz Day.
The world-famous Clarendon Hills Astralis Syrah vineyard is located in Blewitt Springs and was planted in 1920. These gnarly, old, dry-grown vines produce one of the most ethereal Syrah in all of Australia and the world. Famed for its sublime and elegant composition, this humble single vineyard was where it all began for Clarendon Hills. Today it stands as a tribute to the profound vision and undying belief of one Roman Bratasiuk that this is one of the world’s greatest Syrah vineyards.
It all began in 1989 when Roman had decided to start Clarendon Hills and he was looking for grapes to use. Luck had it when he struck up a conversation in McLaren Vale while using a petrol pump. Roman met a grower who had old vine Syrah and Grenache. Roman returned with the gentleman to his property and inspected the site. When he later returned in March 1990 to pick the vineyard himself he knew he was on to something special. Roman would proceed to hand-pick the entire vineyard, all 40 acres, by himself. Roman literally made the first few vintages exactly like this and by sheer force of will kept making these extraordinary wines and they kept selling. Over the years 1990-1994, Roman formed the deep heart-felt belief this was one of the greatest vineyards Syrah vineyards he’d come across. The wine was humbly titled Clarendon Hills Shiraz during the years 1990-1993. In 1994 Roman had decided the wines were so good it would require elevation in his portfolio and a new special name for it. He made the 1994 vintage and sometime after he would be contacted by a famous photographer from Europe who contacted him and wanted to come photograph Roman at the winery. The photographer ended up tasting the very special yet unnamed 1994 Astralis in the barrel and proceeded to take a photo of the night sky. Months later Roman received a handwritten letter from Germany with many glowing words about that magical wine they finished off. A copy of the night sky photo was included and Roman took off, like a shooting star. Roman found a dictionary and found the word Astralis; defined as a celestial body, heavenly. It embodied all of the majesty and mercurial, seamless power connotations he was trying to find words to express with this wine. The moment was so powerful Roman recreated this moment on the firs and original label seen below in the image. The forge was cast and it quickly garnered international attention. The 1994 Astralis was in fact Australia’s first $100 bottle. It quickly took off around the world and forged an Australian icon in the process.
Astralis is a labour of love. Meticulously hand pruned and subsequently hand harvested, whole bunches and also destemmed berries are then wild yeast fermented at the winery in a solitary stainless steel tank. Before during and after the primary fermentation there are maceration periods to ensure all of the beautiful tannins are carefully extracted from the very thick, old vine skins. The wine is then pressed after nearly 30 days in tank and the wine is relocated to Rolls Royce French oak for the next 18 months where the wine undergoes its secondary Malolactic fermentation. The barrels are raked a few times over this 18 months whereby gravity is the sole agent at work to settle out any solids, yeast lees, etc. Astralis is, like all Clarendon Hills, bottles at the winery without any fining or filtration. The result is truly breathtaking and highly rewarding for true connoisseurs that age their wines for many decades to achieve apogee, the full expression at complete maturity.
It is consistently one of the highest scored wines Australia wide. And it rates among the great wines of the world when comparing all results ever achieved since 1990. Astralis has received 2 perfect 100/100 scores and over 30 ‘near perfect’ scores of 98 or 99/100 over the last 35 years. Renouned for its extremely consistent style, across good years and tough. Subsequently, Astralis features prominently in the highly prestigious Exceptional Category of Langtons Classification, alongside Henschke Hill of Grace and Penfolds Grange. The wine has also received a perfect 20/20 score by France’s leading wine magazine, La Revue du Vin de France. Astralis is also considered among the greatest ever wines made , a summary compiled by 11 European Masters of Wine. Astralis is featured on countless thousands of wine lists around the world and adorns many Michelin starred restaurants and also features in Emirates First Class wine service. Elite restaurants like Rockpool, Nobu, Burnt Ends, Quay, Vue Du Monde, Arkhe, all feature Astralis and quite often multiple vintages and formats.
Here’s a few words on Astralis by a few famous Australian wine critics:
“ have had many different vintages of the Astralis over time, but it seems to me that the new vintages are finer and more polished than ever. On this visit in June 2022, Roman and Alex opened the 1994—the first vintage of Astralis (in a full, starry, wraparound label, I might add)—alongside the 2017, 2018 and 2020, and it showed as you might expect an old high-quality Rhone to, with notes of truffles, black pudding, star anise, berries and cloves. It was ethereal.”
Erin Larkin, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“Clarendon Hills’ Astralis Syrah leads the ultra-fine wine movement, rooted in an exceptional vineyard, precise winemaking, and unique expression. Inspired by 1950s-60s South Australian wines, winemaker Roman Bratasiuk acquired McLaren Vale’s old Elysium winery, shaping modern winemaking. Fruit from 19th-century colonial vines, sourced from Chateau Reynella, thrives in loamy, clay soils on the four-hectare, 45-degree, east-facing Astralis Vineyard slope. Minimalist winemaking – hand picked fruit, open fermentations, 18 months’ oak maturation – crafts the Astralis Syrah. Dark liquorice, blackberry, mocha aromas, and seamless, finely wrought tannins define its impactful, vibrant style.”
Andrew Caillard MW, Langtons Fine Wine
