Clonakilla, Shiraz-Viognier, Canberra, Australia, 2022

Overview of the Wine
Clonakilla winery is a family business, established by John Kirk in 1971 when he bought a 44 acre farm near the village of Murrumbateman.  He planted a vineyard and named the property Clonakilla (‘meadow of the church’) after his grandfather’s farm in County Clare.

It has been a remarkable journey for Clonakilla. When John Kirk planted the first vines in 1971 he had no idea that his vineyard would one day be celebrated as one of the best in the country. Along the way there have been trials and tribulations as well as moments of unprecedented success.

Over time something important has become clear: Murrumbateman and Shiraz are one of those rare combinations in the world of wine that can produce something truly exciting.

Grape / Blend
Shiraz and Viognier

Origin
Canberra, South Wales, Australia

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
When we had our big celebration last year to mark 50 years of Clonakilla, we arranged the Shiraz Viognier tasting into three brackets: ‘Luminous’ (the cool years), ‘Ethereal’ (moderate years) and ‘Glow’ (warm years).

One thing the tasting demonstrated was that the vineyard signature remains strong regardless of vintage weather patterns. In fact, the cool vintages, (‘luminous’ because every warming ray of light is received with gratitude), reflected the essential character of our site in a marvellously transparent way.

The 2022 Shiraz Viognier is an archetypal example of a luminous vintage.

As you will see from the reviews, there is something pure and strikingly beautiful to be found in this wine that took a long and determined journey to ripeness through the cool, moist late summer and autumn of 2022.

It is a celebration of everything that makes this site unique and (we think) rather special.

97 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Shiraz Viognier is sensational, but that assessment isn't breaking any ground. It includes 5% Viognier co-fermented and had 20% to 35% whole bunches in the ferment. Lacy, ethereal and structural, this is equal part Boscobel rose (which, to me, smells of raspberry leaf tea and rose essence) and roasted meat juices. It is sweet and savory, spicy and svelte and peppered by layers of pastrami and roast beetroot. There are notes of earth, licorice, black tea, jasmine flowers in summer and lashings of dried exotic spices. This is affirming and good, so good. Drink it now for Pinot-esque pleasure or in 15-20 years for elegant, meaty, ethereal, fresh, complex, layered excitement. All good either way. This is one of my favorite Australian Shirazes. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

96 Points - James Suckling
A cool, attenuated vintage that seems to possess the prerequisites for prodigious grace and long-term aging: extract, freshness and guile. All of this without an ounce of heaviness, such is the gentle mid-weighted timbre of this beautiful expression. For those seeking Barossa or Brunello, look elsewhere! But for those who seek poise, detail and mellifluous drinkability with a balletic gait, this gorgeous wine's patina of Sichuan pepper, clove, red fruits, violet, iodine and dried porcini delivers on all fronts. A supremely sophisticated wine that takes patience to unravel. Drinkable now, but best after 2027.

Product size: 750ml