Sale Wines

95 Points - Jay Miller (erobertparker.com)

The 2006 Shiraz was barrel-fermented and aged for 14 months in 85% new oak, with the barrels 90% American and 10% French. Saturated purple in color, it reveals a splendid bouquet of smoke, pencil lead, bacon, grilled meat, and blueberry. Supple-textured and opulent, this full-bodied Shiraz offers a range of spicy, complex flavors, superb balance, and enough well-concealed tannin to support 5-7 years of additional cellaring. This hedonistic Shiraz should drink well through 2026.

92 Points - Jay Miller (erobertparker.com)

The 2006 Grenache Onkaparinga was reviewed as a barrel sample in Issue 173. Purple-colored, it has a reticent bouquet of black cherry, plum, and boysenberry. Layered on the palate with ample sweet fruit.

95 Points - Robert Parker

One of McLaren Vale’s most astonishing Syrahs is Clarendon Hills’ amazing 2004 Syrah Hickinbotham. Its inky/blue/purple hue is accompanied by aromas and flavors of creme de cassis, smoked meats, melted licorice, coffee beans, graphite, and bacon fat. Extremely full-bodied, powerful, and rich, with moderately high tannin, huge structure as well as massive concentration and intensity, but a sense of elegance, balance, and equilibrium.

93 Points - Josh Raynolds "Deep ruby. Explosive raspberry, blackberry and blueberry scents, along with suave Asian spices and fresh rose. Mouth-filling red berry flavors offer impressive clarity and silky texture for such volume. Velvety tannins add shape to this dense, strikingly sweet fruit bomb. I'd be tempted to drink it now, just to wallow in the seductive fruit."

92 Points - Jay Miller (erobertparker.com) "The wines made from Bordeaux varietals begin with the 2007 Merlot Brookman which spent 18 months in 85% new French oak. A glass-coating opaque purple color, it exhibits a superb nose of toast, pencil lead, spice box, black currant, and blackberry. This leads to a medium to full-bodied wine with a supple texture, excellent grip, and complex, savory flavors. This lengthy effort will round out with an additional 3-4 years of cellaring."

94 Points - Stuart McCloskey "As Robert Parker declared “Roman Bratasiuk is one of Planet Earth’s greatest winemakers”. Yes, the 03 Syrah is full-bodied however, Clarendon Hills is all about purity, the expression of terrior and vintage variation. With over a decade in the bottle the wine is now displaying wonderful meaty and smoky bacon fat characteristics along with ripe black fruits and a touch of pepper."

94 Points - Jeremy Oliver

A wild, heady and briary perfume of raspberries, red cherries, redcurrants and dark plums overlies a meaty, musky background of baked earth, spice and blueberries. It’s rich and voluptuous, robust and powerfully flavoured, with deep Black Forest Cake-like layers of intense, brambly berry influences supported by fine, drying undercarriage and finishing with lingering suggestions of black jelly beans. Likely to thicken out further.

95 Points - James Halliday "Bright, clear purple-red; offers a rich tapestry of succulent fruit in a blood plum spectrum, the oak evident but not over the top, finishing with soft tannins."

Jay Miller (erobertparker.com) "The 2005 Grenache Clarendon is dark ruby-colored with an enticing bouquet of violets, damp earth, and sappy black cherry. This leads to a ripe, velvety-textured, intensely fruity, structured wine which will evolve for 4-5 years and drink well through 2020."