Additional information
| Weight | 1.467 kg |
|---|
Clarendon Hills Liandra Syrah 2023
$65.00 / bottle
Located in the South Western edge of the famous Blewitt Springs sands, the site reveals a mid weight expression. Offering lifted floral notes that mix with bacon fat, leather and roast meats; the satsuma plum backbone and silken texture offers a youthful approachability and a lengthy opportunity in the cellar to pursue those truffled, earthy characters wine aficionados seek. The 2022 offers unbridled approachability with an already silken smooth palate and layer upon layer of earthy notes, black olive tapenade and salami. Experience youthful, exquisitely crafted Blewitt Springs Syrah with this very special early release offer, exclusively for my Cellar Members.
Specifications
RegionRegion
Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale. A sprawling hillside region 10 kms North East of McLaren Vale town centre famous for its added comparative elevation and abundant hillside aspects whose rich ironstone and deep sand deposits forge individual and highly fragrant wines. Sandown Syrah is a single vineyard wine from a patch of old gnarly old vines that are dry grown and low yielding. This old patch was planted in the 1930’s and the site has a Western aspect. It's located at the South Western edge of Blewitt Springs at roughly 2010-230 metres above sea level. The site terroir represents Blewitt Springs famous deep sands, although this site recesses in to an old creek bed and darker loams integrate with the sand and there's flecks of pebbled ironstone, quartz and shale throughout the surface and sub-terrainial layers.
Conditions
The 2023 vintage was the third La Niña growing cycle in a row of vintages since 2021. The markedly cool and late ripening seasons of La Niña, of the 3 last vintages, 2023 would turn out to the latest overall picked and best overall vintage of the trio. The relentlessly wet winter of 2022 continued in to a wet and warm and unusually humid spring time encouraging optimal canopies and fruit set. However very mild summer ensued and the vineyards did not record a 40 degree Celsius day for the Summer, which was unique. The mild Summer delayed the onset of veraison as a result. Autumn soon arrived and so did perfect sunny 21 degree weather every day coupled with very cool nights. Eventual full maturity came approximately 3-4 weeks later than the already late 2022 vintage. The result: amazingly exquisite fruit with preserved acidity and remarkable floral aromas. Some of the most exceptional fruit that we have picked in recent years. Throughout the entire production process from grapes approaching full ripeness, at the crusher, in the tank, in the press, out of the barrel and in to our glasses the 2023 wines have demonstrated another very special layer. The floral component and perfectly portrayed fruit core gives these wines a an uncanny precociousness to them.
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, vines planted in 1995
Closure
DIAM
Production
5400 bottles
Winemaker
Roman Bratasiuk
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 2023 Liandra Syrah hails from Blewitt Springs, and the wine is typically aromatic, resplendent with pressed flowers, exotic spices and black olive tapenade. On the palate, the fruit is intensely dark, shaped by the signature Clarendon Hills oak (i.e., meaty, savory, spicy), and yet it exhibits attractive levity. It's a beautiful wine, one that expresses with elegance in this cool vintage. 13.9% alcohol, sealed under Diam.
95/100
2023 Liandra Syrah
- Wine Advocate, Erin Larkin
