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2005 Clarendon Hills "Hickinbotham" Syrah (Pre-Arrival) Product Zoom

2005 Clarendon Hills "Hickinbotham" Syrah (Pre-Arrival)

SKU #1052730

97 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2005 Syrah Hickinbotham Vineyard is opaque purple-colored with aromas of crushed rocks, toasty oak, tar, licorice, bacon, blueberry, and blackberry. Muscular and large in scale, it will profit from a decade of cellaring and drink well through 2030." (10/07) 95 points Wine Spectator: "Big, rich and juicy, with plum, blueberry and a range of sweet spices. The fine tannins wrap around the generous mouthful of flavors, which linger powerfully. A touch of coffee adds interest, and the finish just doesn't quit. Best from 2010 through 2020." (10/07) 94 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Saturated purple. Powerful boysenberry, blueberry and licorice aromas are complicated by an amaro-like herbal bitterness, with a vanilla and mocha undercurrent adding another element. Broad, sweet and penetrating dark fruit flavors possess stunning density, with palate-saturating depth and power. Do you drink this or eat it? This displays a compellingly balanced shock-and-awe personality uniquely its own-another otherworldly example of this producer's style." (Sept/Oct 2007) 93 points Wine Enthusiast: "As might be expected from winemaker Roman Bratasiuk, this is a full-bodied, rich Syrah, loaded with dark scents of roast coffee, blueberries and baking spices. Blueberry, menthol and spice flavors dominate the palate, finishing long. Despite the massive richness, there's plenty of elegance, too." And 93 points Wine & Spirits.

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Price: $64.99
RP 97 WS 95 ST 94
W&S 93 WE 93

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Varietal:

Shiraz/Syrah

- One of France's noblest black grape varieties, Syrah is known for its intense and distinctive perfume reminiscent of briar fruit, tar, spice and black pepper and its firm structure. One of few black grape varietals frequently vinified on its own, the best examples of Syrah come from the Northern Rhône, particularly Hermitage, but also Côte-Rôtie, Cornas, Crozes-Hermitage and St-Joseph. These wines are very astringent in their youth, though some Crozes-Hermitage and St-Joseph can be enjoyed young, relatively speaking. Given the requisite patience, though, these wines can reveal amazing complexity and secondary fruit characteristics like plum and blackcurrant as well as subtle hints of smoke and flowers. In the Southern Rhône, Syrah is used to add structure and complexity to wines dominated by Grenache and complemented by Mourvèdre, like the more immediately drinkable Côte du Rhônes, as well as the long-lived wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In recent years, plantings of Syrah have spread throughout the Languedoc-Roussillon where it is produced on its own or blended with other varietals. Outside of France, the most important Syrah growing country is easily Australia, where it is called Shiraz. Quality levels here depend greatly on yields and geography, and the wines range from bold, fruity and easy-drinking to intense and ageable, like the famed Penfolds Grange. Often bottled on its own, in Australia Syrah is also can be blended with Grenache and Mourvèdre, as in the Southern Rhône, and is increasingly combined with Cabernet Sauvignon. Syrah has also been steadily increasing in popularity in California, thanks to a group of advocates called the Rhône Rangers. Its most successful iterations come from the Central and Sonoma Coasts, where winemakers are pushing boundaries and creating some incredible wines. In recent years Syrah has also found a number of proponents in Washington State, which is definitely a region to watch for this variety.
Country:

Australia

- While it is true that the greatest strides in Australian winemaking have come in the last 30 years or so, commercial viticulture began as early as the 1820s and has developed uninterrupted ever since. The majority of the great Region are in the southeastern area of the continent, with the Barossa Valley, Claire Valley, McLaren Vale, and Coonawarra in South Australia, the Yarra Yarra Velley and Pyrenees in Victoria and the Upper and Lower Hunter Valleys in New South Wales. Many of the wines from Southeastern Australia are based on Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon and various blends including Grenache and Mourvedre. In Western Australia, along the Margaret River, great strides are being made with Pinot Noir as well as Bordeaux-styled reds. There are also many world-class releases of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling from the land Down Under. While many equate Aussie wines with "value", there are more than a few extremely rare and pricey options, which never fail to earn the highest ratings from wine publications and critics throughout the world. Click for a list of bestselling items from Australia.