Clarendon Hills Astralis Syrah holds its place at the front of the contemporary ultra-fine wine movement. Combining an outstanding vineyard, meticulous winemaking and personal expression, the resulting wine is extraordinary.
Winemaker and former biochemist Roman Bratasiuk was inspired by the classic South Australian wines of the 1950s and 1960s, particularly those of Penfolds. Since purchasing the old Elysium winery at Blewitt Springs in McLaren Vale, he has pioneered the path for contemporary winemakers.
The fruit is derived from 19th-century colonial vine stock originally planted in the 1920s, sourced from Chateau Reynella. The low‑yielding, dry-grown, pre-phylloxera vines are grown in loamy, clay soils. The four-hectare Astralis Vineyard is elevated on a 45-degree slope and faces due east. Once trellised, the vines are now farmed as they grow.
99 Points Robert Parker Wine Advocate
The 2001 Syrah Astralis Vineyard may be just as compelling as the 2002. Tighter because of being in the bottle, it is an extraordinary effort that offers the essence of graphite, blackberry liqueur, espresso, and acacia flowers, all combining into an olfactory smorgasbord for the senses. Sensationally concentrated, with sweet tannin, but neither weighty nor over the top as might be expected for a wine of such extreme richness, it is an extraordinarily well-delineated Syrah that should hit its prime in 10-12 years, and last for 30-40. Hail Caesar … I mean Roman!