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.
94 Points Robert Parker Wine Advocate
The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Brookman Vineyard (from 60-year-old vines) reveals extraordinary elegance and finesse along with a flowery, black currant, and high quality French oak-scented bouquet. A sweet, expansive attack, beautiful tannin, and a long, concentrated finish suggest this is a 20-year wine that should be drinkable in 2-3 years. Like most of these Bordeaux varietal-based cuvees, it saw approximately 80% new oak.