Fraser McKinley

9.3

Like a firm handshake from an old friend. So comforting and cuddly yet svelte and floral. Classy Syrah from magnum - 2015 — 7 years ago

Miles Leicher

9.5

So good. Starts with a friendly handshake, then gives your tongue a gentle hug. — 9 years ago

with Ben

Austin Hohnke

9.1

Young and delicious. Balanced with a firm tannic handshake. — 9 years ago

Courtney Cochran

Sommelier/Host hiptastes.com

9.1

#autolysis sometimes I just want to tell you: THANK YOU for your yeasty, bread-y handshake, your reassuring weight and warmth. That you give my favorite sparkling wines their winking depth and exotic lilt: MERCI.

This one:
Shortbread brûlée, just picked peach, copper penny, kiwi, wet hay. Palate: high minus acid, haughtiness (in a good way), apricot preserve and limeade jelly. Medium plus length, good times and happiness. *nice* — 10 years ago

with Ronald and Jayme

Matthew Turner

Founder Sommelier & Wine Program Solutions

9.8

With Lebanon spiced lamb followed led by a SF handshake. FERNET about it — 12 years ago

Michael Meyer

9.1

Consistent with prior experience, ripe cherry, sage, and underbrush on the nose. Palate brings on more mineral, tang, and red pepper spice. Tannins are somewhere between a firm handshake and a warm hug. An interesting light (slightly orange) copper color; medium body/finish. This could pair with almost anything food-wise. Beautiful stuff! — 7 years ago

Joe Lucca

9.2

Opened up nicely over a 2 hour decant. Iron, leather, tobacco and other manly elements balance out the red and blue fruits. The finish is a firm handshake that says "don't F with me". Best enjoyed while watching Goodfellas. — 9 years ago

Richard Lewis

9.3

Seemed appropriate for National Zinfandel Day. Black currant and all its brambly woodsy undercurrents. While a powerful wine, it's aged beautifully and still has youth - a firm handshake from a softened hand. — 9 years ago

with Lynne

Elizabeth Levitt

8.9

"like a firm handshake that leads into a big hug" — 10 years ago

with Linna

Rubychick

9.2

Flatline Red of Nebbiolo, Shiraz, Sangiovese - but in a good way.
Guy Grossi handshake to finish. — 11 years ago

Michael Malizia

8.9

1 bottle left. Suave and elegant, crisp white shirt and a restrained handshake. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

On the nose; ripe, syrupy dark currants, blackberries, sweet slightly liqueured dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries, blue fruits, dark fruit gummy bears, tarry notes, black pepper, soft leather, dry brush, black licorice, caramel, dry crushed rocks, loamy dry top soil, violets, lilacs and lavender. The body is warm, thick, ultra rich, lush & elegant. The tannins are round & velvety but still have strength...50% resolved. It has another 10-12 years of good drinking ahead. The fruits are gorgeous & ripe; blackberries, sweet slightly liqueured dark cherries, black plum, black raspberries & lots of blue fruits & strawberries that paint the palate on the long set. A fair amount of tarry notes, black pepper, dry herbaceous notes (bay leaf), dry black olive, medium dark spice, dark chocolate, caramel, vanilla, clove, soft leather, dry brush, black licorice, dry crushed rocks, loamy dry top soil, violets, lilacs and lavender. The acidity is round & excellent. The long fruit driven finish is beautifully lush, elegant, well structured with near perfect balance. Photos of; Owner/Winemaker Roman Bratasiuk, their old gnarly 80-90 year old and low yielding vines and two of their vineyards. Producer history and notes...Clarendon Hills was founded in 1990 by Biochemist Roman Bratasiuks. Roman sought to further his passion for great wine by making some himself. Roman never trained as a winemaker. He planned on using his insight as a wine taster and scientist alike to dictate decisions. Roman sought to make a version of the wines he loved. The beginnings of Clarendon Hills effectively started in 1989 when he knocked on the door a local grower whose fruit he liked. A great friendship grew from from this by chance knock on the door. A handshake ensued and it became the first Clarendon Hills vineyard. On Saturday 24 February in 1990, Roman with just a bucket and secateurs arrived. Much to the growers shock, he began picking fruit himself. Roman started at 6 am and finished at 9 pm that evening; he picked half the entire vineyard himself and returned on Sunday the 25th to finish it. This process was repeated in a Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard which formed the 3 single site wines produced in 1990. Crushing was performed by Roman using empty bottles to squash the fruit in a bucket, then transferred by that bucket, to one of the 3 small ex-dairy tanks all bought for $100 and a quick, non-temperature controlled wild-yeast fermentation ensued. The wines were pressed in a borrowed basket press and matured in 3 separate third-hand barrels. The vintage was finished in 11 days. Much to Roman’s delight the wines were superb and they sold. With the money he bought more buckets, three more barrels and rent for a shed to house wines. The process was repeated the next year and the year after that. Clarendon Hills grew from his determination. This one man had to make wine after work and on the weekends after his 9-to-5 job. A local news paper even ran a story "Tin shed wines take on the world"; which made Roman cringe but slowly Clarendon Hills grew, it afforded him more equipment to make the process less labour-intensive and slowly grow his vineyard repertoire. In 1994, Roman left the Australian Government laboratories and devoted himself to Clarendon Hills 100%. In the 1994 vintage, Roman hired his first employee and rebranded his $30 Clarendon Hills Shiraz as 1994 Clarendon Hills Astralis. It was the first bottle in Australia to be priced at $100. It sold out. Roman went on for many years, making and selling the wines himself. Travelling the world over to show people the wines he made. Roman figured since he made the wine, he was the most logical choice to sell and represent his wine. This worked out so well, he continues to show the wines himself. Clarendon Hills produces; 8 Syrah, 6 Grenache, 3 Cabernet Sauvignon, a Merlot and Mourvedre wine. They are all single vineyards single varietal wines, produced from low yielding, dry grown old vines which are hand pruned and hand picked. All his wines are aged in high-quality French oak barriques. Quite a brilliant success story. This is also another wine I acquired on the secondary market for much less it’s release price and far less than their current release prices. It starts as a 9.3 with a half-hour decant. However, as it gets to an hour and half decant plus, it just gets better & better. Works it’s way to a 9.5 in a hour decant. — 8 years ago

Chris A

9.5

Wonderfully complex red blend! Great bouquet that greets you and smooth blend that makes that initial handshake with the senses - great from start to finish! Great alone or with a meal! — 11 years ago