1999 Old Vines Grenache Romas Vineyard
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Tasting notes
"The fruit was ready for picking, and then we had three inches of rain, which is exactly what you don't want with Grenache. And this is an elegant Romas, because of the rain. The Grand Pix was on that weekend, and it was washed out. Totally uncharacteristic," says Roman Bratasiuk. This 1999 Grenache Old Vines Romas Vineyard is the first time that the Grenache parcels at Clarendon Hills were split across two different cuvées—this and the Old Vine Blewitt Springs Vineyard. Aromatically, the wine is black fruited and spicy, with clove, peppercorns, dark chocolate, roasted meat and tapenade. This is a powerhouse. Still, I am reminded of what this could have been without the rain. The tannins are profuse but have a certain elegance to them, and they linger through the finish. Poured from magnum, 14.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
I have long been an admirer of the Clarendon Hills Grenache cuvees, and have purchased and drunk more than my fair share, always with exceptional pleasure. Jun 2001, www.robertparker.com
Deep red. Roasted strawberry, flint, chocolate, lead pencil and a suggestion of smoked meat on the nose. Large-scaled, fleshy and very rich; the densest and most concentrated of these 1999 grenache bottlings. Distinctly minerally. Very long, powerful, chewy finish. Impressive.
About the producer
Based in the McLaren Vale, Clarendon Hills has been one of the pioneering names in Australian wine. Focusing on single-site expressions of individual grapes, working with old dry-farmed vineyards, it has become one of the world’s leading producers, best known for its iconic Astralis Shiraz.