photo © Linda Blakely 2007
Last night Tom and I and a good friend went out for dinner. We brought along with us a bottle of Clarendon Hills Syrah Astralis 2003, one of the high-priced wines we were unable to sell when our store closed. This wine received a 99 point rating by Robert Parker, stating "It’s hard to believe the 2003 Syrah Astralis Vineyard could be better, but it offers riveting richness, intensity, purity, and equilibrium. Structurally, it is similar to the Piggott Range, revealing abundant amounts of sweet, ripe tannin, and huge extract, richness, and depth. Meant for true connoisseurs who are willing to forget it for 5-8 years, it represents what Roman Bratasiuk and Clarendon Hills do so well ... show respect for the great traditions of France, but recognize the extraordinary raw materials that emerge from old vines planted in McLaren Vale. This fabulous wine offers both power and elegance, and showcases the extraordinary talent of Roman Bratasiuk." This was wonderfully balanced and quite delicious! Worth the 99 points? You bet! Worth the triple digits it retails for? Well, let's just say we would never have spent that much for a bottle of wine. We're not ones to cellar wines for many years. We like to drink them now. Why wait?
