With a striking resemblance to a great vintage of Rayas, this wine continues to offer both freshness and full-bodied, viscous flavors that are about as good as Grenache can be. Sweet black cherry/berry fruit, intermixed with pepper, spice box, and earth, is abundantly present in this super-rich, very full-bodied, exotic wine. As exuberant as its proprietor, this wine is still amazingly fresh and capable of lasting for another 4-5 years.Imported by The Australian Premium Wine Collection, John Larchet, USA Wine West, LLC, San Rafael, CA; phone: (800)-485-5753 and Chicago Brands, Chicago, IL; tel. (312) 466-9300.

Based on the strength of his 1994s, proprietor Roman Bratasiuk was named one of my "Wine Producers of the Year" in issue #108. His skill in turning old head-pruned vines into majestic wines of extraordinary richness and purity has been confirmed with the release of the 1995s. These wines are massive and rich as well as extraordinarily well-balanced and pure. I am a longtime fan of old vine Grenache, and what Bratasiuk has done with his two single-vineyard Grenaches is mind-boggling. He has produced what could be called the Chateau Rayas of Australia - only more concentrated! About 200-250 cases of each of these wines are available in the American marketplace, but they will not last long given the quality/price ratio. These are thrilling wines. It's quite simple - the two cuvees of 1995 Old Vine Grenache from Clarendon Hills are even more mind-boggling than the 1994 Old Vine Grenache (which was a blend of these two vineyards). Clarendon Hills' 1994 Old Vine Grenache is one of the few wines I have ever tasted that possesses that intense, black-raspberry richness and purity that is reminiscent of the late Jacques Reynaud's beloved Chateau Rayas. Additionally, there is a Martha's Vineyard mint/eucalyptus component in this super-concentrated, full-bodied, flamboyant, unctuously-textured wine. The mountains of fruit in this Grenache defy belief. Everything is held together by adequate acidity and the wine's inner-structure. It should drink well for 10-15 years. These are amazing wines.Importer: The Australian Premium Wine Collection, imported by Cabo Distributing, South El Monte, CA; tel. (818) 575-8090