Clarendon Hills Astralis Syrah 2008
-
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spirits
Wine &
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The vast wealth of this wine's varietal depth extends beyond the parameters of syrah - beckoning superlatives. Amazingly svelte in its balance of varietal depth with restrained power and super finely integrated extract, it is light on its feet and majestic once in focus. Overriding harmony meets an anarchical expression of Australian classic syrah. Lifted florals dance with rich meats, coffee, cola, chocolate, pan forte, turkish delight, graphite, bitumen, cigar tobacco, black cardamom, good quality soy sauce and crushed rocks. It is dense, yet creamy smooth.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Picked before the heat and weighing in at a reasonable 14.5% alcohol, the 2008 Astralis Syrah (tasted from magnum) is singing. Showing no bricking at the rim, scents of cracked pepper, mint, bay leaf, thyme, lavender and blueberries pour out of the glass, adding meaty notes and hints of espresso and black olive with air. Full-bodied, creamy-textured and supple on the long finish, this wine shouldn't be missed. If you've got one, open it and see for yourself.
-
James Suckling
From an early, warm vintage. There’s a complex, spicy feel with roasted meat and earthy notes to the blackberries and ripe red and dark plums. Cocoa and rust, as well as terra cotta. The palate has an intense, ripe dark-plum and blackberry core and strikingly powerful, dense tannins. Long, pure fruit and sweet earthiness. Drink over the next decade or more.
-
Wine Spectator
Dense and chewy, bursting with juicy blueberry and dark plum fruit, this weaves black olive and spice notes into the long and grippy finish. Shows consistency throughout.
-
Wine Enthusiast
A step up from the other Syrahs in the 2008 Clarendon Hills’ lineup, the Astralis is firmly tannic and should be long-lived. The masses of rich black-cherry fruit are amply framed by cedary oak without ever being overwhelmed, with the fruit persisting on the long finish.
-
Wine & Spirits
Planted in 1920, the vineyard for Astralis faces east on a steep slope of pebbles and clay over ironstone. Roman Bratasiuk presents this as his top wine, powerfully ripe and structured. The 2008 balances notes of pumpkin bread, honey and figs with ironstone tannins that hold the wine tight. It’s both sweet and earthy, gaining detail as it takes on air. Built to age.
Other Vintages
2011-
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James
-
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James -
Wong
Wilfred
-
Suckling
James
-
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine -
Suckling
James
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Spirits
Wine &
-
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine -
Suckling
James
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine -
Suckling
James
-
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James
-
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Known for opulent red wines with intense power and concentration, McLaren Vale is home to perhaps the most “classic” style of Australian Shiraz. Vinified on its own or in Rhône Blends, these hot-climate wines are deeply colored and high in extract with signature hints of dark chocolate and licorice. Cabernet Sauvignon is also produced in a similar style.
Whites, often made from Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc tend to be opulent and full of tropical, stone and citrus fruit.