By Clarendon Hills
2009 Clarendon Grenache

Background
Clarendon Hills is a small family-run winery based in Clarendon, South Australia. Founded by biochemist Roman Bratasiuk in 1990, the story of Clarendon Hills is one of passion, dedication, and commitment to exceptional wine. Though never trained as a winemaker, Roman combined his scientific knowledge and artistic expression in the winery to create the single-varietal wine portfolio of Clarendon Hills. Striving for pure vineyard and varietal expression, Clarendon Hills is dedicated to complex wines that rival the best in the world.

Tasting Notes
Our Clarendon Hills 'Clarendon' Grenache offers a perfumed expression of exotic fruits, dried thyme, and potpourri. The mid-palate texture and lengthy extract underline the savory ripeness of the Clarendon Vineyard. With clean acidity, this wine appears forward and geared for earlier maturity.

Production Notes
The grapes for our Clarendon Grenache were handpicked from low-yielding, dry-grown, 85-year-old vines and gently destemmed before undergoing whole berry fermentation. We used wild yeast fermentation to increase the retention of the grape's varietal essence and minimize bitter tannin extract. All pressings are returned to the barrel and bottled onsite without fining or filtration. This wine aged for 18 months in tight-grained French oak barrels, of which 85% were new and 15% were between one and four years old.

Wine Details
Varietal Content: 100% Grenache
Varietal Origin: South Australia
[Information provided by Gallo]

2009 Clarendon Hills Grenache Old Vines Clarendon Vineyard
Rating: 92
Producer: Clarendon Hills
Wine Region: Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
Variety: Grenache
Color / Type / Sweetness: Red / Table / Dry
Reviewed by Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Deep garnet colored with a tinge of purple, the 2009 Clarendon Grenache offers notes of raspberry preserves, kirsch and cinnamon toast with hints of potpourri and damp soil. Full bodied and richly fruited in the mouth, the flesh is well supported by a medium to firm level of velvety tannins and very crisp acid, finishing long. [...]
Importer: Wine Brokers Unlimited, Hayward, CA
Published: Dec 22, 2011

Clarendon Hills Grenache Clarendon Clarendon 2009
Score: 90
Wine Type and Color: Red Still
Magazine Issue: Aug 31, 2015
Primary Grape: Grenache
Region: Australia / Clarendon
Reviewed By: Harvey Steiman
Fresh and vital, this medium-weight version shows a quinine edge to the dark berry flavors, which persist against refined tannins as the finish lingers. [...]