Wine Advocate (100)

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2010 Astralis is still quite primary eliciting aromas of black plums, blueberry compote and blackcurrant liqueur with a savory and baking spice undercurrent plus a fragrant whiff of violets. Very structured, fine and complex in the medium to full-bodied mouth, this wine is revealing much more than when I first tasted it a year ago and is now showing layer upon layer of black fruit preserves, mocha, toast and spices before finishing with great length. Extraordinary wine. Approachable now, it should cellar to 2030+.

Wine Advocate (96+)

The deep garnet-purple 2011 Astralis offers a nose redolent of Christmas pudding, allspice, mocha and anise along with a lovely core of prunes, black cherry preserves and dusty earth. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the mouth with elegant, effortless fruit, with a medium level of finely grained tannins, just enough acidity, and a long and multi-layered finish. Drink it 2015 to 2030+.

Wine Advocate (100)

The fitting capstone to what was a terrific vintage for Clarendon Hills, the 2015 Astralis Syrah is destined to become a McLaren Vale legend. Remarkably precise, complex and pristine aromas of anise, pepper, mint and blueberries lead the way. They're followed by a full-bodied yet impeccably ripe palate that's dense and concentrated yet supple, leading into a velvety, nearly endless finish. Wow.

James Suckling (98)

East-facing, sandy clay and rocky at the bottom. This is a very intense, layered style of wine with complex, rich, suave and sophisticated style. Intense aromas of dark plums, blackberries and spice with brown-pepper and grilled-meat notes. The palate has such dense, supple and long tannins and delivers blackberry, plum and licorice flavors in regal and impressive mode. The power is delivered so smoothly with full commitment to flavor. Try from 2024.

Vinous (92)

Full ruby. Deep, smoky aromas of blackcurrant, dried rose and cracked pepper, with a slow-building herbal quality. At once juicy and smooth, with intense red fruit compote flavors over a firm mineral underpinning. Finishes spicy and long, with supple tannins arriving late and adding gentle grip. Drinking well right now but this should be even better with a couple more years of bottle age. This was aged in 85% new French oak.

Wine Enthusiast (95)

Cropped at a measly half ton per acre, this is Clarendon Hills' top Grenache bottling. It's tighter and denser than the other, more flamboyant offerings, needing time in the bottle to develop. For now, it's loaded with wonderfully pure blackberry and cassis fruit, but it promises to develop more complexity over the years; try from 2008-2020. Long and softly tannic on the finish.

Vinous (94)

Deep purple. Explosively pure aromas of raspberry, boysenberry and kirsch are almost head-spinning in their intensity and breadth. Lush, sweet and creamy in texture, with blackberry and boysenberry flavors penetrating every nook and cranny of the palate. But this superbly concentrated, deep wine is by no means a bruiser, as bright acids give the fruit lift and focus. The finish is a seemingly endless display of spicy, sweet red and dark berries, with whatever tannins there are utterly consumed by the black hole of fruit.

Wine Advocate (97+)

The 2006 Syrah Hickinbotham Vineyard combines a voluptuous flavor profile with enough ripe tannin to evolve for 6-8 years. Drink it from 2015 to 2031.

Vinous (95)

Dark, glass-staining purple. Expansive, floral bouquet of boysenberry, candied plum, blueberry jam and kirsch, with sexy oak spices and vanilla accentuating the impression of sweetness. A gorgeous expression of bright dark berry flavors, complicated by deft notes of cinnamon, cigar box and star anise. This shows impressive power but also an overall sense of elegance and finesse, especially on the juicy, long finish. An amazing wine, with jaw-dropping concentration and clarity.

Wine Advocate (95)

An amazing performance, even better than last year’s showing from tank, the 2004 Syrah Moritz is produced from one of Clarendon Hills’ youngest vineyard sites (planted in 1975). The wine was aged in 42% new French oak for 18 months prior to being bottled unfined and unfiltered. Gorgeous aromas of flowers, blueberries, cassis, and meat jump from the glass of this cuvee. With huge body and a rich, intense style, Bratasiuk claims it is his hypothetical blend of a Cornas and Hermitage, although it possesses more fruit than most of those wines. It should drink well for a minimum of 15 years.

Wine Advocate (92)

The 2008 Onkaparinga Vineyard Syrah is very deep garnet-purple in color, revealing notes of tar and tires over fruits of the forest conserve, warm black currant, licorice, loam, vanilla, cedar, meat and damp leaves. Ripe and fleshy in the mouth, it has a solid backbone of high acid and medium-firm fine tannins, finishing long and earthy. It should be best from 2013 to 2020+.

Wine Advocate (98)

The exquisite 2006 Syrah Piggott Range is more structured yet. Thick, dense, and tightly wound, all the components are there for future greatness. Only patience is required.

Vinous (93+)

(84-year-old vines) Saturated ruby. The most aromatically complex of this year's set of grenache bottlings, displaying red and dark berries, cherry, rooty sassafras, smoky herbs and a sexy floral quality. Rich, palate-staining raspberry and boysenberry flavors are given shape by fine-grained tannins, which gain power with air. Packed with dense fruit but slow to show itself right now, finishing with a late note of exotic floral pastilles and very good youthful grip. This could use a couple years to unwind.

Nestled in the rich Southern McLaren Vale region, the Coriole Lloyd Reserve Shiraz 2013 is an exquisite embodiment of Australian excellence. This pre-eminent Shiraz, crafted by prominent winemaker Coriole Vineyards, charms with a bold, full-bodied profile encapsulating intense fruit flavours dappled with notes of savoury spice and dark chocolate. Each grape is attentively selected from the oldest vineyard plantings, dating back to 1919, ensuring a superior quality yield. The meticulous fermentation process in open-top vessels, followed by ageing in French oak barrels, bestow a distinguished depth and complexity that leaves a lingering palate impression.

Bearing the name of the Lloyd family, who established Coriole in 1967, the Coriole Lloyd Reserve Shiraz 2013 carries a legacy mirrored in its striking character and robust structure. Unquestionably, it's a testament to Coriole’s enduring commitment to create wines that captivate with their elegance and remarkable drinking pleasure.

Wine Advocate (89+)

Merlot has taken a beating in the world marketplace, but there is no question there are some good ones, and the 2005 Merlot John Zilm may turn out to be an outstanding example with another year or so of bottle age. Aged 16 months in 100% new French oak, it exhibits a deep ruby/purple color, good uplift, excellent definition, hints of sweet blackberries, plums, red currants, mocha, and coffee beans, a lovely texture, fine purity, and serious concentration. This delicious Merlot can be enjoyed over the next 7-10 years.

Wine Advocate (89+)

Merlot has taken a beating in the world marketplace, but there is no question there are some good ones, and the 2005 Merlot John Zilm may turn out to be an outstanding example with another year or so of bottle age. Aged 16 months in 100% new French oak, it exhibits a deep ruby/purple color, good uplift, excellent definition, hints of sweet blackberries, plums, red currants, mocha, and coffee beans, a lovely texture, fine purity, and serious concentration. This delicious Merlot can be enjoyed over the next 7-10 years.

Wine Advocate (94)

This estate’s most renowned offering is their old vine (90+ years) Shiraz called The Dead Arm. The unfined/unfiltered 2000 The Dead Arm Shiraz is one of South Australia’s finest wines of the vintage. A perfume of grilled steak intermixed with blackberries, new saddle leather, earth, pepper, and melted licorice rises from this awesome red. With great power, richness, and no hard edges, it is still young and primary, but should hit its peak in 3-7 years, and last for two decades or more.

Wine Advocate (95)

D’Arenberg’s most famous wine is its flagship, The Dead Arm Shiraz. The 2005 The Dead Arm Shiraz is sourced from ancient head-pruned vines. It was aged for 22 months in a mix of new and used French and American oak. It is opaque purple/black with an expansive perfume of toast, smoke, spice box, mineral, pencil lead, tar, licorice, blueberry, and blackberry. Full-bodied, opulent, and super-concentrated, this structured, lengthy wine will benefit from 3-5 years of cellaring and drink well through 2025.

Vinous (94)

Saturated ruby. A highly perfumed, spice-accented bouquet evokes ripe dark fruits, pipe tobacco, mocha and candied flowers. Palate-staining blueberry, cherry liqueur, licorice and fruitcake flavors show excellent depth as well as vibrancy. The floral and spice notes return on the impressively long, focused finish, which is framed by smooth, late-arriving tannins.

Halliday Wine Companion (97)

The price of this wine reflects the piercing brilliance of the bouquet and, in particular, the palate. There is some residual sugar, but the acidity totally obscures it. If you buy it, keep some bottles for a minimum of 10 years, allowing the treasure trove of secondary flavours to be liberated.

Wine Advocate (91)

Displaying a similar color as well as personality and depth, the 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Ashmead exhibits a more scorched/roasted character to its nose, sweeter, more pliable and open-knit flavors, and nearly as much aging potential as the cooler vintage conditions produced in 2002. A beautiful, full-throttle, gutsy Cabernet Sauvignon, it can be drunk now and over the next 10-12 years.

Wine Spectator (97)

Big and powerful, brimming with tarry, spicy black cherry, dark plum, blackberry and chocolate flavors. Rich and gooey like a warm flourless chocolate cake, yet it finds a plush balance that keeps it from veering off into heaviness. This has grace, harmony and refinement, without losing an ounce of power. Drink now through 2025. 600 cases imported. -HS

Experience the rich heritage of Australian wine with the Fox Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 1998, an exquisite vintage crafted in the celebrated McLaren Vale region. The maestros at the award-winning Fox Creek Estates have meticulously cultivated this sumptuous varietal in the alluvial, nutrient-rich terrains, with emphasis on sustainable farming practices.

The Fox Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 exudes a harmonious blend of blackberry, capsicum and violet aromas, complimented by bewitching notes of mocha and French oak vanillin stemming from the laborious 22 month barrel ageing process. This medium-to-full-bodied wine is bewitching on the palate with its perfectly balanced flavour profile and well-integrated tannins.

Offering a remarkable cellaring potential, the Fox Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 captures the true essence of Australian winemaking, delivering an unwavering quality that has positioned it amongst the world's most sought-after wines.

Halliday Wine Companion (94)

Dense stygian colour; top example of a full-bodied McLaren Vale loaded with blackberry fruit and dark chocolate, yet not hot or heavy; good extract and oak.

Halliday Wine Companion (93)

Deep colour; as befits the very complex blend, powerful and complex, yet retains suppleness through the array of red and blackcurrant fruit. Barossa Valley (48%)/Adelaide Hills (42%)/Coonawarra (10%).

Wine Advocate (98)

Still looking fresh and complete, Glaetzer's 2004 Amon Ra Shiraz is full-bodied, rich and dark-fruited, with black cherry and plum fruit forming the base, while grace notes of baking spices, mocha and cedar play about the edges. Creamy and velvety in texture, with a long finish, it remains at its peak and should continue to drink well for another decade or more.

Wine Advocate (97+)

Very deep purple-black in color, the 2012 Amon Ra reveals intense notes of blackcurrant cordial, blackberry compote and licorice with nuances of cloves, allspice, chocolate box and salami as well as a whiff of espresso. The 100% Shiraz palate offers a beast of a wine that is densely packed with black fruit and baking spice flavors and is supported with firm, grainy tannins and crisp acid through to a finish with excellent persistence. Drink it 2015 to 2025+.

Wine Advocate (96)

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2013 Amon Ra has youthfully toned-down notes of blackcurrants, blackberry preserves, plums and cracked pepper with nuances of licorice, dark chocolate, cedar and black earth. The palate has wonderful balance and elegance for its commendable concentration and fullness, with tons of muscular fruit and spice layers framed by grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with great persistence.

Wine Advocate (96+)

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Amon-Ra Shiraz has a youthfully mute nose, offering glimpses at the blackberry, blackcurrant and licorice core, plus suggestions of dark chocolate, cigar boxes, fertile earth and baking spices. The full-bodied palate delivers concentrated, muscular blackberry and earth flavors with plenty of freshness and a beautiful backbone of finely grained tannins, finishing with commendable persistence and layers. This is a great contender for wine of the vintage!

Wine Advocate (98)

Certainly one of the best vintages of young Amon Ra I've ever tasted, the 2018 Amon Ra Shiraz is a stupendous effort. From old vines in the Ebenezer section of the northern Barossa, it starts off with a whirlwind of mocha, blackberry and dried spices, then actually gets more red-fruited as it sits in the glass. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated without being jammy or overdone, the wine finishes long and savory, framed by dusty tannins and mouthwatering black olives. Winemaker Ben Glaetzer compares 2018 to 2004 (which continues to drink well). Expect the 2018 to drink well young, but easily age through 2035, perhaps longer.