Syrah 2023

Every year at Clonakilla we fill a single fermenter with pure Shiraz from the top half of Block One, an elevated acre in the Northern section of our estate. The soil here is rich in red clay overlying decomposed volcanic rock. The slope is angled perfectly to the North-East, catching the sun from the moment it rises.

The winemaking is kept as simple as possible. Whole berries are fermented warm by their own native yeasts. The wine spends a month macerating on skins and two years in tight-grained French oak puncheons.

The 2023 season saw the long tail of La Nina deliver a cool, rain soaked spring and the latest vintage since 2011. Genuine summer heat finally arrived in January followed by a (mostly) sunny autumn. The warmth made all the difference. 

Drink now or cellar for up to 20 years.

Tim Kirk