Newsletters

2018 Riesling now available!

David Reist,

You may have picked up that we are really, really excited about the 2018 vintage.

Perhaps the purest of all the wines we make is the Riesling. The winemaking could not be simpler. We load the whole bunches directly into the press and turn it on. We collect the ‘freshly squeezed’ Riesling juice in a tank and throw in a neutral yeast. We keep the temperature low as it ferments, rack it of the yeast lees, filter it and bottle it. To get a picture of the personality of the vintage, taste the Riesling!

“While Tim Kirk and his team at Clonakilla are best-known for their shiraz-viognier blends and other world-class reds, the Riesling is, for me, the best-value wine in the entire range…This is fine and lean and immediately appealing with lemon, lime and grapefruit notes, spiky acidity and lots of length. Pair this with Thai or Vietnamese dishes. While I was sipping and savouring, my usually restrained wife devoured the rest of the bottle.” – Winsor Dobbin

“…a delicious riesling with rich, citrus-like varietal flavour in the pure, delicate Clonakilla style. It’s impressive now as a vibrant, fruity young wine but it’ll change in pleasing ways over the next decade – best experienced by cellaring a case and enjoying a bottle every year or two, potentially over decades.” – Chris Shanahan

A heads up: Our Rare and Small batch wines will be released on April 30. For Canberra region members, we will be holding our annual Rare and Small batch dinner at Pialligo Estate Restaurant that night. More details soon.

Warm regards,

Tim Kirk

Christmas Greetings

David Reist,

Isn’t it amazing how quickly Christmas comes around?

We send our greetings for the season and thank you for your interest and support over the last twelve months.

We have had a number of highlights for the wines this year. The 98 point reviews from James Halliday and Nick Stock for the gorgeous 2017 Shiraz Viognier were a thrill.

And I have to admit hearing that the 2016 O’Riada Shiraz just beat the 2017 Hilltops Shiraz for the trophy for the best Shiraz of the 2018 Canberra regional Wine Show was a buzz. (It went on to win the trophies for Best Red and Champion Wine of the show too. Not bad!)

As wonderful as our 2017 reds are, here’s an insiders tip: Keep a watchful eye out for the 2018s next year. (That’s all our General Manager Dave allows me to say…)

It’s been a great year.

Christmas blessings to you and yours,

Tim Kirk

*If you are wanting to purchase wines online you will need to do so by Monday the 17th of December – that is our last shipping day of the year. 

**The cellar door will be closed on Dec 24, 25, 26, 31 and Jan 1st.  We will be open all other days between 11-4 on the weekdays and 10-5 on the weekends.

Halliday’s Top 100 – 98 points – 2017 Shiraz Viognier

David Reist,

We were delighted to see our 2017 Shiraz Viognier named in James Halliday’s Top 100 a few weeks ago. What made it even better was that it was the second Top 100 list in which the wine has appeared. On Monday last week the 2017 Shiraz Viognier secured a place in James Suckling’s Top 100 – this time up against international benchmarks. On both occasions the wine scored 98 points. James Halliday’s review: “…Tim Kirk nails it when he writes of a line of pure spice running through the bouquet and palate – I would simply add “and the aftertaste” because this has superb length and texture, replete with red berry flavours.” Nick Stock for James Suckling:
“One of the greatest vintages of this wine. It has a super complex array of white and black peppers, hard brown spices, leaves, flowers and fresh wet earth, as well as graphite-like dark stony notes… The palate is delivered with steady elegance and power, showing unwavering build and a seemingly never-ending trail of fresh and spicy fruit flavors. With the most immaculate tannins, too. The real soul of this wine shines through in this perfectly simpatico vintage. Fascinating to drink now, but it is best to give it some time. Try around 2025.”

What a year!

David Reist,

2015 has been quite a year at Clonakilla.

We were pretty excited when our 2015 Riesling won four trophies at the Canberra Regional Wine Show, including White Wine of the Show and Wine of the Show. Even more exciting for us was the fact that the wine the Riesling pipped at the post to win White Wine of the Show was the 2015 Viognier Nouveau which had already won the trophy for Best Dry White – Other Varieties and/or Blends.

2015 was generous in yield as well as fantastic quality, so it was just as well we got our winery extensions finished in time for vintage (only just!)

We will be releasing a swag of 2015s through the course of next year. You will have to come and taste them at our new cellar door when it opens. We’re shooting for March at this stage. Fingers crossed… For now however, check out the Clonakilla wall (photo below) that will be the first thing you see as you drive up to the winery.

In international news, Clonakilla seems to be making quite an impact in the UK. Decanter magazine included a five page spread on Clonakilla in their August edition, written by the brilliant Huon Hooke. Jancis Robinson was so kind as to nominate the Hilltops Shiraz as her wine of the week back in early October. She loved the SV as well of course. Read all about it.

Then in the Christmas edition of Decanter we made it on to the front cover as one of the ‘50 Star Buys of 2015’. For the record, the Shiraz Viognier came in at number 2.

A new release for you just in time for Christmas. The 2014 O’Riada Shiraz.
We like to think of the O’Riada as classic Canberra District Shiraz. It is a perfect wine to introduce people to this exciting new style Aus Shiraz.

The critics have given it a big thumbs up:

“This has class stamped all over it…a sparkling river of dark fruits that run from the tip of the tongue through to the elegant, but oh so complex, finish and aftertaste. Exhilarating.” – James Halliday

“Canberra region magic. Black pepper, dark fruit, lavender, exotic spice… with superfine texture and superb tannin balance.” – Ralph Kyte-Powell

“The bouquet is complex and spicy… supple and savoury, gentle in mouth-feel and finely balanced, with a long and satisfying aftertaste.” – Huon Hooke

Please note that we will cease shipping on Thursday the 17th of December and will resume on the 4th of January. Also, the cellar door will be closed December 24-27, 31 & January 1.

With kind regards to you and your family in this Christmas season,

Tim Kirk

wall_timandmick_email

 

Champion Wine of the Show

David Reist,

Some exciting news.

There is only one wine show we enter: the Canberra Regional Show.

Chairman of judges Mike Bennie and his crack judging team have awarded the 2015 Clonakilla Riesling a gold medal and four trophies:

Champion Wine of the Show, Best Canberra Riesling, Best Riesling and Best White.

In winning Best White, the Riesling only narrowly beat the 2015 Viognier Nouveau, which won a gold medal and the trophy for Best Dry White – Other Varieties and/or Blends.

Needless to say, since the news broke, our cellar door has been over-run with many of our local customers getting in on the action.

We love seeing our supporters at the cellar door of course, but you can buy them here and we’ll deliver them to your door.

Warm regards,

Tim Kirk