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Clarendon Hills Astralis, the story
Named "2001 Wine Personality of the Year in Austalia" by Robert
Parker, Roman Bratasiuk has been at the forefront of winemaking in
Australia since 1990. Located in McLaren Vale, South Australia,
his winery produces only 800 to 1000 cases from each of his 16
single vineyards planted with the oldest vines of Grenache,
Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon aged between 70 to 100 years.
Robert Parker:
“Roman Bratasiuk is one of Planet Earth's greatest winemakers
and obviously a top-notch viticulturist given his obsession with
sourcing extraordinary fruit from ancient McLaren Vale vineyards. If Penfolds Grange has been the most legendary wine in Australia,
my instincts suggest that in the future, if any winery surpasses
Grange, it will be made by Roman Bratasiuk of Clarendon
Hills in McLaren Vale.
Unlike many of the best Australian wines, Bratasiuk's influences, more than most of his peers, have been
formed by his love of French wine. He has invested enormously in a
state-of-the-art winery, secured some of the finest old vine
Grenache and Syrah vineyards in McLaren Vale, and to his credit,
believes in aging everything in more subtle French oak, which
certainly puts him among the minority of Australian producers, who
believe the more aggressive, sometimes overwhelming
characteristics of American oak are better suited for their wines.
His wines are all made from incredibly low yields, fermented with
indigenous yeasts, and bottled with no fining nor filtration.
A biochemist by
training, he has been a Clarendon Hills for 10 years, and it still
amazes me that his wines, even in Australia, have not received the
accolades they merit. Perhaps it is because even his top old-vine
Grenache cuvées actually requiring cellaring and often do not show
their best until four to five years after the vintage. In the case
of his luxury cuvées of Shiraz, particularly his world-class
Astralis, ten years of cellaring is essential. I have
been a very enthusiastic supporter of his wines since I first
tasted the 1994s and have bought them in every vintage since. This
is undoubtedly the world's greatest wineries that has yet to catch
on with the consuming public."
Wine Spectator:
"Clarendon Hills makes some of
Australia's most distinctive reds. Few can match owner-winemaker
Roman Bratasiuk's touch with Grenache, and his Shiraz can compete
at the A-grade level."
James Halliday:
"Clarendon Hills produces some of the most concentrated, rich
and full bodied red wines in Australia. Its owner, Roman Bratasiuk,
is a larger than life figure who makes larger than life wines from
small parcels of old, low-yielding vines."
The Wine
Planted in the early 1930's, the
vineyard is about 70 years old. This vineyard is planted with the
old clones of Syrah (low yielding) on their own roots, dry grown
and yields about two tonnes to the acre. The soils here are
mainly clay, ironstone and gravel facing due east and fairly
steep.
The vineyard usually ripens early
due to the low yields and extensive root systems of these old
vines. The grapes are handpicked and fermented with natural
yeasts in open stainless steel tanks at temperatures up to 32
degree Celsius. All the pressings are returned to the 100% new
French oak barriques and the maturation lasts for 18 months before
bottling without fining or filtration. This is always the
most beautiful wine in the cellar and is the flagship of the
Clarendon Hills Syrah Range. Due to minimal intervention in
the winemaking process this wine expresses the vineyard characters
as it develops in the bottle for up to 30 years.
Reviews
2002
Astralis
"The 2002 Syrah
Astralis Vineyard rivals the greatest wines Roman Bratasiuk has
made in his 15-year career. This compelling, black/blue-hued
offering from 75-year-old Syrah vines tastes like blood of the
vine. An extraordinary perfume of flowers, creme de cassis,
blackberries, roasted meat, new saddle leather, and earth is
followed by a wine with sweet tannin, sensational concentration,
full body, an unctuous texture, and a full-throttle, tannic
finish. Yet it reveals unbelievable elegance and finesse. Too many
Euro-centric elitists argue that Australian wines are too rich and
over the top, but all of these offerings have been made by someone
with great talent and vision who takes the extraordinary ripeness
and purity of fruit available from these old vine vineyards and
crafts them into wines that are quite European in style, just
richer and denser. The 2002 Astralis is a tour de force.
Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025+."
99
points, Wine Advocate.
"Polished,
round and beautifully balanced to bring the blueberry, plum and
blackberry character into relief, the lingering flavors riding
effortlessly on superfine tannins. More refined, not as big or
chunky as previous vintages. Drink now through 2015."
100 cases imported
95 points,
The Wine Spectator
2003
Astralis
"It’s hard to
believe the 2003 Syrah Astralis Vineyard could be better, but it
offers riveting richness, intensity, purity, and equilibrium.
Structurally, it is similar to the Piggott Range, revealing
abundant amounts of sweet, ripe tannin, and huge extract,
richness, and depth. Meant for true connoisseurs who are willing
to forget it for 5-8 years, it represents what Roman Bratasiuk and
Clarendon Hills do so well, show respect for the great traditions
of France, but recognize the extraordinary raw materials that
emerge from old vines planted in McLaren Vale. This fabulous wine
offers both power and elegance, and showcases the extraordinary
talent of Roman Bratasiuk. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2030."
99 points, Wine Advocate.
"Aristocratic
stuff, brimming with lovely blueberry, plum and vanilla flavors,
wrapped in a mantle of peppery, cedary oak, finishing with plenty
of flavor and rousing intensity that promises a long, impressive
development. A stylish red that shows no signs of quitting. Best
from 2008 through 2020. 200 cases imported.
95
points, The Wine Spectator.
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