Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier 2013
The flagship of Clonakilla, their Shiraz Viognier, is created from a careful selection of the highest quality Shiraz Viognier parcels they craft each year from their Murrumbateman vineyard.
After three wet, cool years, 2013 was a return to the warm, sun-bathed seasons we experienced through the 2000s. The days were warmer and the nights cooler than average.
This vintage carries the extra dimension of opulence and intensity of fruit that you see in the great years. Every aroma nuance moves up a gear. The palate exhibits an authority which demands it be cellared respectfully for a few years. It certainly has the structure to age very well.
Some young wines take hours to declare their full greatness, churning and evolving for some time before finding themselves. Others possess such an effortless confidence and elegant balance that their full calibre is apparent in seconds. Even months before its October release, 2013 declares itself as one of the great Clonakillas, thanks to a season of warmer days and cooler nights than average and rains exactly when they were needed. The result is gloriously exotic, yet at every moment distinguished, effortless and refined, assembled with impeccable precision engineering, with every element in intricate balance. Great depth of pepper, rose bud, exotic spice, dried herbs and black fruits of all kinds are set in place by a very finely textured, mouth filling underlay of impeccably knit, silky tannins. The finish is epic, seamless and enduring. 5% co-fermented viognier. Drink 2023 - 2033. - James Halliday, 98 Points.
The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - Shiraz Viognier
Country - Australia
Region - Murrumbateman, New South Wales
Vintage - 2013
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 13%