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Astralis 2006 75cl

McLaren Vale | South Australia | Australia
CHF 248.65
Critics scores
99 Robert Parker
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2006 Astralis has stunning nose redolent of warm blackberries, meat, toast and charcoal, infused with notes of smoked duck, anise and a slight bit of peat. Though still very youthful, this big, rich, and powerful full-bodied wine has firm yet velvety tannins, a vibrant acid line and is very long on the finish. Drink it now to 2026+. I am grateful to Roman Bratasiuk for presenting me with small verticals from his cellar of some of his greatest vineyard sources for this report, including the Merlot (as an indication that Merlot can do well in Australia!), the Old Vines/Romas Vineyard Grenache and a vertical of the Astralis vineyard Shiraz going back to 1991. Readers should note that the 2011 vintage Clarendon Hills wines are being released a little later than usual and therefore were not available for tasting in time for this report. However, I have been informed that they will be available for tasting very soon and will hopefully make the South Australia report.
98 Wine Spectator
A big wine, but amazingly supple, graceful and pure, offering cascades of wild blueberry, black cherry and plum fruit that play against spices such as cardamom, clove and black pepper. It's all seamlessly integrated with fine tannins and enough creamy oak to complete the picture. Syrah. Drink now through 2020. 500 cases imported. –HS
Producer
Clarendon Hills
Clarendon Hills is one of the world’s greatest wineries, it was founded in 1990 by the genius oenologist, Roman Bratasiuk in Clarendon, South Australia. Structured solely on Bratasiuk’s refined worldly palate, the estate carefully follows each step of the winemaking process – from vine to bottle. Robert Parker highlighted their successes in 1996 by awarding them one of his “Wine Producers of the Year,” he even described the first release of their Astralis in 1994 as a “bigger, denser, more concentrate wine than the Grange”. The pure Syrah wine is unfiltered and unfined, full of ripe fruit and aged in French oak, while uncharacteristic of the region, the Astralis grows in depth and dimension with age. Astralis is a timeless wine, and as their Grand Vin it is also one of the most sought after wines, ranking amongst the top 100 wines of the century. Today, Alex and Adam Bratasiuk are continuing in their father’s footsteps, Adam focuses on the viniculture practices, while Alex manages the domaine. This respected Australian producer also crafts several other outstanding reds, including Syrahs, Grenaches, and Cabernet Sauvignons.