Additional information
| Weight | 1.467 kg |
|---|
Clarendon Hills Astralis Syrah 2021
$450.00 / bottle
The Clarendon Hills Astralis Syrah 2021 release offers both collectors and connoisseurs alike an opportunity to witness a legend in the making. The Astralis Syrah vineyard has been captured by legendary winemaker Roman Bratasiuk over the last 34 years and this is a magical release. Roman has pushed his belief that this is one of the greatest single vineyards in the world to the n’th degree and has cultured a McLaren Vale icon across the last 3 decades. Hand picked and wild yeast fermented the wine is matured in the highest quality French Oak for 18 months before being bottled at the winery by the very same team that made it. Majesty, elegance and seamless power are some of the most enduring comments on the Astralis, who’s name comes from a reference to the night sky. Astralis is defined as a celestial body and or pertaining to the stars. Prestigious Australian wine company Langtons ranks Astralis amongst its highest echelon, the ‘Exceptional’ category alongside the iconic Grange and Hill of Grace wines. The wine has received numerous high praise with 2 recent perfect 100 point scores and also 10 other vintages that are near perfectly scored with a 98 or 99 point score.
Specifications
RegionRegion
Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale: 10 kms N/E of McLaren Vale. 250 metres above sea level. High altitiude Blewitt Springs site above the sands. Terroir composed of decomposed ironstone, quartz, shale and schist. Circa 750 million year old geology sprawls across the vineyard location.
Conditions
After three dry and warm-to-hot vintages in a row, 2021 was a bit of a relief for local winemakers. Heavy rain in the early growing season gave healthy levels of balanced fruit, with the total crush up 28% from the lows of 2020. After a hot start to the season, the weather cooled in December, avoiding any significant heat spikes. The cooler ripening weather and elevated yields show in the elegance and generous fruit in the wines.
Winemaking
Low yielding, dry grown vines from the Blewitt Springs region in McLaren Vale were hand-picked and followed by a 60% whole berry, wild yeast fermentation. All pressings were returned to barrel and eventually bottled onsite without fining or filtration after 18 months in French Oak.
Maturation
18 months, within a hierarchy of 1-5 year old tightly grained French Oak. Bottled at the winery with no fining or filtration.
Grape Variety
100% Syrah, single vine, old vines
Closure
DIAM
Production
5400 bottles
Winemaker
Roman Bratasiuk
The 2021 Astralis Syrah leads with a distinctly charry, black nose. The black and purple fruit that resides within the core of this wine is really hunkered down within the trenches of the wine, beneath the tannins and oak (which has a distinct biscuit character to it in these 2021s). It's an interesting outcome of a cooler vintage, and the wine feels as though it has been injected with squid ink. The density, darkness and depth of the Astralis has been accentuated in this vintage rather than what I expected, which was a lighter, finer and more spacious expression of cool-year fruit. If anything, this is compressed, coiled and tightly woven. Fascinating. As it opens up in the glass, it is obvious that the fruit will emerge victorious, but it will require time and patience. This is a big, brooding, firm, tannic wine, currently. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under Diam.
95/100
Clarendon Hills 2021 Astralis Syrah
- Wine Advocate, Erin Larkin
