Clarendon Hills 2023 Syrah Release Pack

From the upper northwest corner of Blewitt Springs next to the Onkaparinga Gorge on sandy soils over ironstone, quartz and shale; vines planted in '46. I love this '23 syrah suite for the detail, transparency and intense charm, but also for the clear differentiation between each wine. This booms out of the glass with an enveloping scent of blue and purple florals. It’s a sultry and utterly captivating fragrance, playing over serenely, pristinely ripe fruit, with warmed spices softly complexing. Boysenberry, blueberry, wild raspberry, crème de violette, blackberry pastille, clove, pepper, the palate a swirl of texture, the tannins superfine, elegantly persuasive. This is a beautiful wine – soulful, elegant, effortlessly generous and just such a treat.

97/100
2023 Onkaparinga Syrah

- Wine Companion, Marcus Ellis

This is often a powerfully compressed wine, gruff even, but here it follows the theme of the '23s. Some may miss the gravitas. Not me. This is the best Astralis I have tasted. From 1920s vines that feel like they have drawn up the essence of site – mineral inflected, rugged yet also expansive and expressive. Fleet of foot, too. Dark berries and cherries, struck iron and tea leaves, bitter chocolate, anise; this is like no Astralis prior, though malty oak undercurrents still flow, and it will be interesting to see the direction going forward. If you’re chasing heft, this is not the wine, but, if you care about expression of place and graceful detail, it’s a stunner.

97/100
2023 Astralis Syrah

- Wine Companion, Marcus Ellis

From the farthest western edge of Blewitt Springs, a site that glimpses the ocean and is riddled with ironstone. Gorgeous aromas of salami, pithy black fruit and apricots. Gravely, rocky tannins that ready the mouth for the next glass. An impactful wine of immense refinement and gorgeousness. Among the very finest syrahs tasted this year. Drinkable now, but best from 2028.

97/100
Onkaparinga Syrah 2022, James Suckling, Ned Goodwin MW, February 2024

- James Suckling, Ned Goodwin MW

Continuing the style of these '23 syrahs, this is a relatively elegant affair, red fruited and more medium in heft, though it’s marked by an intense mineral spine and is laced with North African spices. To me, the syrahs from this year most clearly show the direction this pinnacle estate is steering in, towards more transparency, more fragrance, more approachability. And that’s at no cost to quality and engagement. Rather the opposite. Compressed raspberry and cherry, red plum, a slew of spices, the tannins refined yet commanding, the carry both graceful and intensely flavourful. Lovely.

95/100

2023 Liandra Syrah

- Wine Companion, Marcus Ellis

The 2022 Onkaparinga Syrah is bright and pert—so vibrant, in fact. The fruit is exciting and layered, with loads of tannins (which I love), but I am surprised about the vivacity of the acidity. It threatens to overwhelm the substantial fruit detailing—crispy bacon fat, roasted meat crust (as with the 2021 last year) and lashings of blackberry/raspberry characters. The gently grippy tannins are a highlight for me; they show sumac and star anise, a hint of clove and cracked pink peppercorn. Having just opened a bottle of the 2020 Onkaparinga Syrah at my home this week (dinner, steaks, an assortment of high-quality Australian Syrah ensued), I am well aware of how slowly and gracefully this ages. I believe the wine will settle into its tannic framework and give significant pleasure in the future. 14% alcohol, sealed under Diam.

95/100
Onkaparinga Syrah 2022, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Erin Larkin, May 2024

- The Wine Advocate, Erin Larkin

A cool year, and maybe anomalous for some, but I love the best wines from '23. And this is in that cohort. Also, this is the best syrah release that I can recall from this address. It may not satisfy those after highly charged offerings, but the quality and character are undeniable. Here, there’s a silkiness to the palate, a glide of fruit, texture and keenly extracted tannins, all knit in, quietly composed. The fruit profile is red but, happily, nothing pokes out, with the interest lying in the array of floral and spice notes. Bergamot tea, sandalwood, dried rose, sweet pipe tobacco, dukkah … it’s no more than medium in weight, but it’s so intensely flavoured. Beautiful wine.

96/100
2023 Sandown Syrah

- Wine Companion, Marcus Ellis

The 2022 Sandown Syrah leads with a sweet, blackberry nose. It is effusive with aniseed, sweet licorice, a hint of arnica and fresh mint. In the mouth, it is possessed of a deep forest/truffle/lichen character alongside blueberry, char and spice. It is supple, plush and velvety and pure, in its way. I love the tannins: powdery, gravelly and a little chewy. This is savory and good. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under Diam.

94/100
Sandown Syrah 2022, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Erin Larkin, May 2024

- The Wine Advocate, Erin Larkin