The Old Vine Syrah patch was planted in the 1930s and is on a slope of the property with a westerly aspect. These old gnarly vines are planted in heavily decomposed ironstone and quartz. The style of wine is completely individual and the winemaking team always comment on how light the style is and how exotic the spices are in this vineyard. The spices come across like incense mixed with deeply aromatic and smoky lapsang oolong tea. Exotic characters such as sandalwood, cocoa powder, sarsaparilla and cola elements top the roast meat and flinty, strawberry and cream palette of this wine. The lighter frame on this style is highly attractive and the intoxicating spices combine to create something highly exotic.

The Syrah patch was planted in the mid 1940’s and yields a microscopic 250-300 dozen per annum. The Sandown Syrah patch is west facing and features significant ironstone content. The site yields a signature incense like spice throughout the fruit and makes for a highly exotic expression of Blewitt Springs Syrah. Cola, sarsaparilla, incense, blackcurrant, blueberry, black olive, Italian leather, Sandalwood and roasted meat are all on display with recessed power woven throughout this highly perfumed and multi-layered, seamless example.

Immerse yourself in the celestial elegance of Clarendon Hills Astralis Shiraz 2013, a 750mL masterpiece from McLaren Vale’s premier single vineyard. Sourced from 35 to 70-year-old dry-grown vines on clay, ironstone, and gravelly soils, this wine captures the essence of its terroir with minimal intervention. Fermented with wild yeasts and matured for 18 months in 100% new French oak barriques, the 2013 vintage reveals a deep garnet hue. Its complex nose offers exotic spices, graphite, dark plums, black tea, iodine, white pepper, and a touch of redder plum. The palate is strikingly concentrated, with rich red plums and blackberries, framed by super-fine, long tannins that promise decades of evolution. Rated 95 points by James Suckling for its powerful yet youthful profile, this Astralis is a collector’s treasure, ideal for pairing with beef or venison, and a testament to Australian winemaking at its finest.