2023 Clonakilla O'Riada Shiraz
Grape
Shiraz
Its Origins
Clonakilla winery is a family business, established by John Kirk in 1971. Developing a vineyard and winery business was originally a weekend distraction for John. He had first developed an interest in wine when he was fourteen. His parents owned the Hydro Hotel in Lisdoonvarna, County Clare, Ireland. When he came home from boarding school one summer he was given the job of looking after the bar and stocking the hotel cellars. To get a handle on his new responsibilities he began to read about the great wine regions of Europe. He soon became smitten with the idea of wine. His personal knowledge of the subject was greatly expanded through his years of study at Cambridge University, his post doctoral work at Oxford and his time as a lecturer in biochemistry at the university town of Aberystwyth in Wales. In 1968 John took up an offer to come to Australia to take a research position with the CSIRO Division of Plant Industry in Canberra. John first planted Shiraz at Clonakilla in 1972. Through the seventies and eighties the Shiraz was blended with Cabernet Sauvignon in traditional Australian style. In 1990 it was decided to keep the Shiraz component separate. The Clonakilla 1990 Shiraz went on to win one silver, two gold and two trophies in three showings. James Halliday described it as “a tour de force in spicy/peppery varietal character”. Needless to say, the Kirks began to see Murrumbateman Shiraz in a new light.
What The Critics Say
95/100 Parker's Wine Advocate, Erin Larkin
"The 2023 O’Riada Shiraz is perfumed and floral right out of the blocks: rose petals, petrichor, a drift of arnica/licorice, white chocolate and sweet tobacco. The wine is attractive and perfumed in the mouth as well, and the tannins are finely wrought. The wine finishes with a slight inflection of dried mint, but this is a gorgeous thing and comes highly recommended. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap." Drink 2024 - 2033
95/100 Wine Pilot, Ken Gargett
"Cool climate Shiraz from the Canberra district, the wine is a tribute to an Irish hero, Sean O’Riada, a musician who took their traditional music to the world. Sean was John Kirk’s cousin – John is the founder of Clonakilla and father of current winemaker, Tim. Sean passed away in 1971, the same year as John founded Clonakilla. From a cool year, the wine includes both estate fruit and that sourced from nearby Murrumbateman and Hall. A vibrant crimson, this is a stunning cool climate Shiraz and wonderful value. Given the limited nature of the Shiraz Viognier, this is more than ideal for filling the gaps. Spices, florals, a flicker of animal skins, red fruits, cloves, red cherries and mulberries. A wine which is carefully crafted, with line and length and immaculate balance and the finest of tannins, it is, however, the gorgeous spice notes which are to the fore. Drink over the next eight to ten years."
94/100 The Wine Front, Campbell Mattinson
"Every vintage, for a while there, seemed to be the “earliest on record”. 2023 was the third cool Canberra season in a row, and was the latest harvest in over a decade. O’Riada Shiraz is grown on both Clonakilla’s estate vineyard, and on other Murrumbateman/Canberra District sites. I cannot fault this wine. It’s so well spiced, without being excessively so. It’s rushed with cherry-plum fruit, it’s both refreshing and satiny, it folds, carefully, cedarwood and deli-meat into the fruit, and the tannin is a masterclass of the fine, filigreed kind. After all that, or over-arching it, is the fact that it’s a delightful drink, pretty, floral, solid where it needs to be, bright and balanced. Personally I’d have no hesitation in buying this wine." Drink 2025 - 2035+
| Variety | Shiraz / Syrah |
|---|---|
| Closure | Cap |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Alcohol | 13.00% |
| Maturity | 2024 - 2035+ |
This Wine Goes Well With
Taste
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