The 2023 vintage was exceptional for Clarendon Hills and likely the highest performing varietal was indeed Syrah. The extended hang time on the vines particularly suited our dry grown vines and the extra skin thickness of Syrah benefited highly from the later and cooler season. In what was the 3rd successive La Niña season in a row produced the coolest, latest and interestingly, overall driest of the 3 La Niña harvests and the produced highest degree of phenolic ripeness seen to date at Clarendon Hills. the long late and cool but sunny ripening period is usually studded with 40 degree days that speed the ripeness and diminish the acids in typical years. However 2023 was so unique with its carbon copy weather everyday across February and March of 21˚-22˚C cool sunny weather. This was such a rare vintage where disease pressure across the Springtime of 2024 and Summer of 2024/2025 was unprecedentedly high. While the constant pressure was there our organically farmed grapes withstood all the challenges of mildew that many other great producers succumbed. The combination of the unusual Spring and Summer weather and the very late and cool harvest produced absolutely remarkable flavours on the vine before being picked and foretold the great harvest. These stratospheric flavours continued to amaze right across the production phase and in to bottle.
These wines were so delicious, we were literally drinking them from day 1, immediately after pressing, which is typically an extremely tender phase of production where there’s still a lot of sharp acids and hard edges that need to be dealt with across 18 months in barrel; but these wines were so soft and so heavily rose perfumed with deep base lines of fine Italian leather, with game and salami notes displaying super serious complexities ; and to have such polish and completeness at this relative point in time showed everyone in the winery we had a totally legendary vintage in our midst.
Both Clarendon and Blewitt Springs sub regions of McLaren Vale produced exquisite Syrah with the former producing ethereal acidity to ascribe freshness and offer uniqueness to the collection of 5 Syrah’s. Clarendon is one of the most highly elevated sub regions of all McLaren Vale and it borders the cool Adelaide Hills wine region certainly making it one of the coolest subregions also. Couple ancient geology, extremely undulating, rocky terrain where pockets of boulders that protrude from the earth in this part of the world is common place here. Tall hill tops that are met with deep recession points such as the Onkaparinga River that meanders its way through the district, albeit a two hundred to three hundred metres below the peaks of the Clarendon’s hills and ranges. The Domaine Clarendon Syrah vineyard was the first vineyard Clarendon Hills planted and established from scratch. Its vision: to capture the ancient world class terroir of high altitude Clarendon. Where, according to the McLaren Vale’s widely available Geology Report, soils age between 750-1600 million years of age. Clarendon Hills took cutting from its best vineyard the Astralis Syrah vineyard in Blewitt Springs to propagate the vineyard. The vision of viticulture was entirely unique in Australia at the time 2003. Single stake, non cordon trellised Syrah vines would stud the crown of a tall hill in 360˚ fashion. Welcome to our Domaine Clarendon Syrah vineyard.
The single stake design renders only yield a few bunches per vine there by limiting the output of the vines, thus rendering the vineyard with excellent concentration. The vineyard took a few years to develop and after starting in 2003 and it was completed in 2005 thus marking this year as it’s 20th birthday.
The 2023 Domaine Clarendon Syrah is wonderfully layered and deeply woven with more than enough riff and bass line to take it to the next level. The soul satisfying flavours of Syrah are on display with ripe plum, woodsy spice and twiggy notes coupled with back olive, grilled meat and smoked bacon fat make a really pleasing wine. It’s the lighter frame on the 2023 wines and the distinct rose petal notes across all 2023 wines that make everything so special. Young and intense yet polished with deep fruit and its lightly chalky structure and succulent acidity and dancing rose petal finish leaves you wanting more.
The 2023 Liandra Syrah is a beauty this year with lifted smoky bacon and roast beef notes top of raspberry, blueberry and plum coulis. The fruit is totally alive with infused rose petal aroma and the suggestion of nori and black pepper and smoked meat really peaks the complexity scales. The death of fruit is nourishing and the lightness of frame really makes it super approachable in its youth. The black olive notes and fine Italian leather notes come with aeration and provide the perfect back drop to this little gem.
The 1930’s planted old Syrah vines of the Sandown vineyard produced some of the most compelling aromas of the entire vintage. So unique with its exotic characters of Sandalwood, Sarsaparilla and cola set amongst notes of game meat, earth, petrichor, rose petal and iodine. Deeply electric blueberry fruit on the palate coupled with the exotic notes of clove and cherry cola. There’s a distinct density to the expression however it appears seamless and effortless and the structure is significant but it’s so finely handled it’s almost at a point of polish and features late on the palate. This is so smooth and rounded and sculpted already. Its a joy to experience.
Queue the Onkaparinga Syrah. In what is a contender for the best overall wine of the entire 2023 vintage. The exceptional Onkaparinga Syrah has been on a steady but sure rise over the last few years. The fruit is getting better and we’re getting better at handling the fruit. With the La Niña years there’s been optimal conditions for growth and with all the extra rain seen across those La Niña vintages we have the rationale the vines were chasing the water and the wash of highly decomposed geology rich in minerals deeper beyond the root zone growth thus promoting chartering extending in to uncharted new depths below the surface of the land. The sub-terrainial layers high decomposed ironstone and iron rich clays are providing the vines a mineral rich environment to nourish the vines root zone and the result is superlative. The class is evident on arrival. It sits low in the glass and broods high class aromas or fine Italian leather, wood grilled Wagyu Beef, and mahogany. The palate is entirely detailed but is already smooth enough to enjoy today. In spite of the wines 13.5% alcohol level there’s an abundance of deep flavours and brooding notes that signal its high quality. Nori, graphite, crushed rock, gunpowder are finely woven throughout the experience and it abundantly clear there’s a serious challenger to the throne of our best wine in the cellar every year now. The Onkaparinga Syrah is on the rise, seemingly getting better every year and is highly deserving of your attention.
Unveiling a true legend in the making. The 2023 Astralis Syrah broods with understatement and classy aromas of truffle, espresso crème, roast hazelnuts, and finely roasted meat. There is a pungency to the perfume that intrgues and recesses its near limitless power in to a finely sculpted and silken smooth palate whose outer limit highlights layer upon layer of finer detail. The savoury aromas of black olive, forest floor, baking spice and coco powder bring this year’s release to life and adds yet another layer to the mineral entwined fruit core. The effortless power and seamlessness across the palate is an experience to behold. The old iron fist in a velvet glove statement has a regal prominence in my mind when tasting this. the extended late and cool growing season of 2023 played perfectly in to the hands of the 103 year old Astralis Syrah vineyard. The exceptionally thick and crunchy skins we typically receive from this site were ripened to a point for near perfection in the 2022 – 2023 growing season. The phenolic ripeness levels achieved were virtually unparalleled in any other vintage of Clarendon Hills. 2002 springs to mind with its exceptionally late and dry and cool harvest of mid April. Such is the rarity of the conditions and the rarity of this type of beauty. The 2023 harvest occurred on the 6th of April. The rose petal aromas that articulate the beauty seen in this single vineyard are deep veined and add so many layers of enjoyment throughout the fruit on the nose and the palate itself. A wine of this class accumulates significant weight on the nose with aeration and the silky, long tannins that effortlessly roll on and on suggest a significant life ahead for the 2023.