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. Drink it now to 2019+. Importer: Wine Brokers Unlimited, Hayward, CA

The Grenache offerings begin with the purple-colored 2007 Grenache Clarendon. It offers up an expressive nose of spice box, cassis, and cherry compote. Structured on the palate, it has outstanding depth and concentration, savory flavors, and 2-3 years of aging potential. In a sign of the times, pricing for Roman Bratasiuk’s Clarendon Hills portfolio has been reduced by close to 50% across the board. Suddenly, most of the wines offer an excellent price to quality relationship. As usual, the Clarendon Hills wines are unblended, 100% varietal, sourced from mostly old-vine, ungrafted, single vineyards, fermented naturally, and bottled without fining or filtration. Only seasoned oak is used for the Grenache bottlings, 100% new French oak for the Merlot and Cabernets, and 50-100% new French oak for the Syrahs depending upon the cuvee. There is a new addition to the portfolio, a Mourvedre sourced from 12 year old vines and aged in 2 year old French oak. The year 2007 was more difficult than the three that preceded it, marked by a 45-50% reduction in crop levels and elevated tannin from the resulting thick skins. As Bratasiuk notes, “Tight, drying tannin is the hallmark of the vintage.” Nevertheless, this is an impressive collection from one of Australia’s icon wineries.Importer: E & J Gallo, Modesto, CA; www.clarendonhills.com.au

The 2007 Clarendon is in a more feminine, approachable style than Roman Bratasiuk’s other 2007 Grenaches, featuring dried spices, watermelon and cherry aromas and fine—almost delicate—tannins. Cherry-berry flavors finish with hints of cinnamon and clove. Drink now–2015. ——J.C.(10/1/2010)—— 90

The 2006 Grenache Clarendon is velvety, ripe, and sweetly fruited. It can be enjoyed in its youth but will provide pleasure for at least a decade. Roman Bratasiuk’s Clarendon Hills is one of the world’s great wine estates. The wines are all 100% varietal, produced from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Grenache, and Syrah. The vineyards are all ungrafted, planted on their own roots, most of them with very old vines. Only French oak is utilized, seasoned barrels for the Grenache, 100% new for the Merlot and Cabernets, and 50-100% new for the Syrahs depending upon the vineyard. The wines typically spend 18 months in oak prior to bottling without fining or filtration. All of the above 2006 bottlings were reviewed from barrel samples in Issue 173. The vintage was an excellent one, not quite as exceptional as 2005, but there may be cases in which selected 2006s may eventually outshine their 2005 counterparts. All of the 2006s fell within their predicted ranges (mostly near the high end) so I will keep my comments brief. Clarendon Hills 2006 Syrahs are superb. They appear to be less structured and more forward than the 2005s and will be more approachable early on. As an aside, Clarendon Hills’ USA importer does not bring in the Onkaparinga Grenache and Syrah cuvees. In Issue 173 I rated the Onkaparinga Grenache (92-95) and the Onkaparinga Syrah (92-95).Importer: E & J Gallo, Modesto, CA; www.clarendonhills.com.au