There is no doubt the 2018 is one of the great vintages. A lower than average crop produced fruit with soaring aromas and intense energy through the palate.
“This is phenomenal, so precise and concentrated with such detail and power, delivered with elegance and precision…” 99 – James Suckling, Nick Stock
“There’s great intensity as well as elegance here…A delicious wine in a medium-bodied but seriously structured style.” 98 – Huon Hooke
“This 2018 may well be the best shiraz released in Australia this year…It’s a superb release…it’s the definition of seamless…We are looking at an ultra-long-term wine here, deserving of prime space in the best of cellars.” 96 – Campbell Mattinson
Look out for the announcement of the venues for our 2019 Clonakilla Dinner Series in a couple of weeks.
We love the small batch release. It’s a joy to share with you the rarer parcels we have been working on.
2017 Syrah 100% destemmed Shiraz grapes from the top half of the T&L One block. A month on skins, 22 months in French oak puncheons.
A superb vintage for Clonakilla, set to go down among the greatest
in the history of this legendary cuvée, capturing every captivating
detail of eloquent grace of this fabled vineyard… Every detail is
mastered with the utmost fidelity, preserved in perfect harmony on an
epic finish. 98 points – Tyson Stelzer
So silky, so fine, the delicacy and prettiness such a charm. It’s a highly perfumed wine that sings with purity and vitality…Epic length, such finesse and elegance. So very beautiful, so inspiring and delicious to drink. Praise be. 96 points – Mike Bennie, Winefront
2017 Ballinderry Our Bordeaux blend (Cab Franc, Cab Sauv and Merlot), 100% destemmed and 22 months in 225 Litre barriques.
It should not be possible to craft a Bordeaux blend as refined and glorious as this alongside the cooler climate varieties that flourish at Clonakilla, but the sheer class of this cuvée is testament to the wizardry of the Kirks and their epic site. It is consummately floral, perfectly ripe, super finely structured, magnificently persistent and packed with potential. 94 points – Tyson Stelzer
A lovely rendition of the Claret-style red… It feels cool, warm and refreshing at once, anise and mint characters dancing with currants and cloves. Not a bump in sight. 94 points – Campbell Mattinson, Winefront
2018 Pinot Noir Lovingly made in tiny volumes. 30% whole bunch. Twelve months in tight grain puncheons. Clones 777, 667, 115, Abel, Pommard and the unidentified clone that dad planted in 1978.
This is a particularly elegant pinot for Clonakilla… Its floral flamboyance makes it enticing from the outset, the perfect partner to cuisines preferring a lighter take on pinot. 92 points – Tyson Stelzer
2018 Ceoltoiri An ode to the Southern Rhone. Six varieties: Grenache, Mourvedre, Shiraz, Cinsault, Counoise and Roussanne. 100% destemmed. Twelve months in older oak puncheons.
The thing that lifts this cuvée off the page of southern Rhône style blends is…the harmonious, seamless, masterful manner in which every detail is effortlessly united with super fine tannins, refreshing acidity and fantastic persistence. Best yet. 94 points – Tyson Stelzer
Another very strong release. Light, perfumed and frisky but with enough substance to satisfy…Everything in right and good order. Class producer, class wine. 93 points – Campbell Mattinson, Winefront
Tight and bright in a classically restrained Tumba style. Whole bunch pressed. 11 months in French puncheons.
The wine is tight and refined, tense and reserved, with excellent nerve and vitality through the palate…A very young but very promising chardonnay. This should go on to bigger and better things with another year in bottle. A stunning youngster. 93 points – Huon Hooke
We love the small batch release. It’s a joy to share with you the rarer parcels we have been working on.
A reminder that an order of six of the Syrah will come in our beautiful new packaging (vineyard map printed in the lid!)
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.
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.
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.”
