2007 Hickinbotham Syrah

(90% new French oak) Opaque ruby. Smoky dark berry, cherry-cola, licorice and sassafras on the nose, with a lively mineral quality adding urgency. Gains complexity with air, picking up a floral nuance along with sexy Asian spice character. Fleshy and sweet in the mouth, with powerful dark fruit and floral pastille flavors supported by a firm mineral spine. Leaves a sweet trail of red and dark berries behind on the strikingly persistent, pure finish.

The 2007 Syrah Hickinbotham has slightly muted aromas of mineral, underbrush, spice box, blackberry, and blueberry. On the palate it displays a stern personality with plenty of underlying structure and some austerity. It has excellent balance, depth, and length which will be fully exhibited in another 4-6 years. In a sign of the times, pricing for Roman Bratasiuk’s Clarendon Hills portfolio has been reduced by close to 50% across the board. Suddenly, most of the wines offer an excellent price to quality relationship. As usual, the Clarendon Hills wines are unblended, 100% varietal, sourced from mostly old-vine, ungrafted, single vineyards, fermented naturally, and bottled without fining or filtration. Only seasoned oak is used for the Grenache bottlings, 100% new French oak for the Merlot and Cabernets, and 50-100% new French oak for the Syrahs depending upon the cuvee. There is a new addition to the portfolio, a Mourvedre sourced from 12 year old vines and aged in 2 year old French oak. The year 2007 was more difficult than the three that preceded it, marked by a 45-50% reduction in crop levels and elevated tannin from the resulting thick skins. As Bratasiuk notes, “Tight, drying tannin is the hallmark of the vintage.” Nevertheless, this is an impressive collection from one of Australia’s icon wineries. Importer: E & J Gallo, Modesto, CA; www.clarendonhills.com.au