Clarendon Hills Astralis Syrah 1999

The color is very dark blood red, almost black with just a little hint of purple. There is an immense variety of aromas greeting you when you first sniff this wine. Black cherries, blueberries and plums. There is an overriding sensation of earthy, mushroom like characters and more lifted aromas with licorice bark, coffee and vanilla. There are some hints of other spices as well with some nutmeg, cloves and fennel. All of this and more follows on the palate.

As well as the flavors that are described on the bouquet there are also some sweet toasty new oak characters which are quite prominent at the front of the palate. Then you taste the fruity components and finally all the spicy and other complexing factors. The overwhelming impression you get from this wine is the multitude of different levels it works on, with its scope massive and all encompassing.

You simply have to lay this wine down for many years. The flavors swirl around the mouth and are a joy to behold right now, but it needs at least a decade and will peak soon after that period, but then it will have a long window for optimum drinking, simply because the weight and density of the fruit and other flavoring components. It will probably drink well for a further 10 years.

At the moment if you need to open a bottle to see just how good the wine is, serve only aged piquant cheese, either Reggiano or aged cheddar style. It is too intense and grippy to match up with an entrée at this youthful stage.