96 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, February 1998

Clarendon Hills' red wines are about as decadent and rich as red wine can get. The luxury cuvee of Shiraz, the 1996 Astralis (550 cases), is softer than its 1995 counterpart. Aged in 100% new oak, the wood is soaked up by the wine's extraordinary flavor concentration and massive fruit extraction. The nose offers aromas of pure cassis intermixed with pepper and spice. This blockbuster wine exhibits remarkable richness, compelling layers of flavor, brilliant purity and overall equilibrium, and a fabulously nuanced finish. The 1996, which is slightly more accessible than the more backward 1995, can be drunk, although this flamboyant effort will evolve for another 15-20 years. Frankly, along with Penfold's Grange, this may be the greatest Shiraz being made in Australia.

97 points,

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, February 2002

This wine remains a baby and in need of another ... 10 more years of cellaring. A mammoth, blockbuster wine with awesome layers of flavor extract, huge, high tannin, and magnificent, concentrated cassis fruit, this full-bodied wine shows beautifully integrated tannin, acidity, and alcohol, but still has a personality more like a barrel sample than a wine that is already five years old. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2040.

95 points,

Stephen Tanzer's IWC, August 1998

Saturated, opaque ruby. Perfumed, multidimensional aromas of blackberry, cassis, woodsmoke, game and oak spice. Amazingly thick and sweet in the mouth, but ripe acidity and deep spiciness gives clarity to the flavors. A real powerhouse, with fruit of steel. Finishes with huge, tongue-coating tannins, very complex berry, meat and oak flavors, and great length. Superb wine, a bit more forward than the '95 but likely to be long-lived. (The Australian Premium Wine Collection; imported by USA Wine West, Berkeley, CA) 95 points

About Winery

Clarendon Hills, 25 miles south of Adelaide, was established in 1989 by Roman Bratasiuk, the owner/winemaker. Since its establishment just over a decade ago Clarendon Hills has had amazing success. Clarendon Hills has received excellent reviews from both critics and publications alike. From The Wine Advocate to the Wine Companion and Wine Spectator, to being named as one of Robert Parker's 'Wine Producers of the Year' in his newsletter Issue 108 - Clarendon Hills continues to impress. In August 2003, Robert Parker (Wine Advocate) names Clarendon Hills as one of Australia and the world's greatest wineries. The quality of Clarendons success can be attributed to a number of things. Firstly the age of the vines, the town Clarendon was established in 1845. Today many of the vineyards surrounding the winery are over seventy years old the gnarly and twisted bush vines are dry farmed and the grapes are hand picked. Secondly the soil variation and quality, the soil profiles of each winery are very different. This difference, from the rock and shale of Piggott Range to the heavy clay of the Clarendon Grenache Vineyard. Lastly Roman's dedication and philosophy to winemaking. His aim is quite simply to make wines equal to anything in the world.

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