2024 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier

Refined, beautifully fleshed and sophisticated with long resounding finale.

Clonakilla's flagship, the Shiraz Viognier, represents a meticulous selection of the finest parcels from their Murrumbateman vineyard. The 2024 vintage is a blend of 95% Shiraz and 5% Viognier with 22% whole bunch inclusion. Maturation took place in mixture of French oak barrels, barriques and puncheons of which one third was new.

Very deep dark red black colour with a dark red hue. Perfumed like aromatics of rose petal, red to dark plum, liquorice and dried apricot are intertwined with whiffs of ripe blueberry, vanillin cedar and subtle peppered earth notes. Refined and beautifully fleshed, the mid weighted palate has generous layers of dark plum, liquorice and ripe blueberry fruits coursing across it. Further sophistication is generated by subtle clove, hints of dried apricot, vanillin cedar, scorched earth and pepper elements. Polished, supple and expansive in its flow, it possesses delightful freshness and seamlessly integrated tannins. Seductive and deeply fruited yet elegant and structured all at once, it has a long resounding finale.
Drink over the next 10-12 years.
Alc. 14%

Other Reviews…
If one may start with the bottom line, the only reason that this one didn’t get 100 points is because there would seem to be every chance that Tim Kirk will continue to outdo himself and come up with something even better. Mind you, looking at this wine, it is hard to imagine how he will do that. As always, this sits amongst the world’s very best Shiraz Viognier blends. It must also sit amongst the very best releases of this particular wine. World class. Deep and dark purple in hue, this is full of black fruits, black cherries, florals, cassis, leather, mocha, truffles, raspberries, aniseed and tobacco leaves. Immaculate balance, extraordinary length, a seductive texture and the silkiest of tannins, it will provide immense pleasure for at least the next two decades. The previous vintage was a masterpiece. This one tops it. Drink 2025-2045.
99 points
Ken Gargett – WinePilot.com

This release comes off two cool La Nina growing seasons and marks a return to a savory and earth-driven style. Aromas of red cherries, raspberries, rose petals, graphite, white pepper, sandalwood and citrus peel. The palate is medium-bodied with silky tannins and bright acidity, offering a vibrant, finely textured mouthfeel with a long, perfumed finish. Elegant and precise with real clarity, showing all the hallmarks and charm of the Northern Rhone. Excellent. Drink or hold.
98 points
JamesSuckling.com

The 2024 Shiraz Viognier is so perfumed from the glass, with notes of orange blossom and Boscobel rose, raspberry seed and peppercorns. The wine is delicately layered, spicy and medium-bodied, with so many nuanced levels of texture and flavor. In youth, these wines express floral detail and an orange-peel lift, while with age, they begin to show meaty nuances and ethereal, dried-rose-petal complexity. I love this wine in pretty much every vintage condition; it varies each year, but it remains true to its fine, complex DNA. This is super. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Drink 2025-2044.
97 points
Erin Larkin – Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate