Description
What a remarkable journey for Clonakilla. When John Kirk first planted vines in 1971 who would have thought it would be celebrated as one of Australia’s finest vineyards! Their first Shiraz Viognier was made in 1998 – by 2005 it was deemed ‘Outstanding’ in Langton’s Australian Wine Classification … by 2010 it was promoted to “Exceptional” .. up there with Grange and Hill of Grace! Murrumbateman & Canberra wine region is all about cool climate shiraz … complex layering of raspberry, violets, spice, cracked pepper, roast game with darker blackberry, blackcurrant and aniseed in warmer years. Clonakilla’s shiraz across the board including the Hilltops and O’Riada remind me of syrah at it’s best from famed ‘Cote Rotie’ in France’s Northern Rhone.
About this wine from the winemaker, Tim Kirk: “This Shiraz is made from grapes selected from vineyards in the Hilltops district around Young on the South-Western Slopes of New South Wales. 2022 was a long, cool vintage. The lower-than-average temperatures slowed the ripening and worked to build detail and complexity into the aroma and the palate of this wine. Dark red hues with blackcurrant and cherry aromas woven through the region’s trademark dark berry fruit.”
Qantas Airlines has secured Gold in the prestigious Business Traveller Magazine “Cellars in the Sky” competition in the Business Class Red category with our 2022 Hilltops Shiraz. A wonderful result for both Qantas and Clonakilla that underscores the quality of this wine.
93 points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front “I’ve always been partial and I’d say that this is a very good release. Mint, peppercorn, sweet spice, salted nuts and floral notes run into fresh red cherry and plum flavours. There’s a smoky meatiness at play here too and while it’s not overt I’d also say that it’s a key part of this wine’s shtick. Tannin is fine, length is sound, oak is integrated and all the components feel as though they’re pulling in the one direction. This is a good wine and (very) good value.”
Tysons Stelzer, Wine Business Magazine. “There is something quite special about a truly cool season in the Hilltops, and I love the medium-bodied elegance and most of all the heightened varietal character that it has drawn out of Shiraz. This is a fine-boned wine of fine-strung mineral tannins, tangy acid drive, crunchy blackberry fruit and that glorious white pepper that only cool climate Shiraz can deliver. An absolute bargain. And age-worthy.”
Ned Goodwin MW “This is a very good Hilltops bottling, a sub-region with the altitude to obviate the wet weather of a cooler year, while accentuating a bit more ripeness. Mid-weighted, spicy and boasting real verve. Riffs on clove, menthol, white pepper, blue fruit allusions and dried aniseed ripple across a vertical skein of freshness, while finely wrought, gently gritty tannins compress the long finish. Excellent showing. Drinkable now, but best after 2026.”
RRP $35 Our Special Price $30.99
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