Print this Wine         1997 Clarendon Hills "Piggott Range" Shiraz   CLARENDON                 January Release   Shiraz       Having several fully mature vineyards of "Bush Vine" Shiraz to pick fruit from is Roman Bratasiuk’s absolute pleasure. As these fully mature vines continue to age they produce less fruit but the fruit has greater concentration and the particular qualities of the vineyard are magnified each succeeding year. This wine, the product of the "Piggott Range Vineyard" has an abundance of its own individual character. Deep and very heavily colored a dark reddish purple, almost impossible to see any light through the wine promises concentration. This concentration is immediately apparent on the bouquet. The luscious and juicy fruit of really ripe Shiraz berries bursts at you. On top of this is a layer of more savory components. There are ripe and succulent black olives, bacon and a real pungent earthy mushroom aroma. A further layer is added with some spicy overtones such as cloves and nutmeg combined with toasted vanilla from some new oak. The bouquet is exceedingly inviting. Once in the mouth the wine literally explodes with flavor and power. The liquid is so concentrated it is almost like an oil as it slips around the front of the palate then it turns into meat as it gets to the back. It is here the grape and oak tannins come fully into play. These tannins are not aggressive although they are very concentrated. The luscious nature of the fruit flavor tends to soften these tannins. You can almost believe that the wine is a good drink right now, and yes it does drink well. But please be patient and wait on the wine for at least 10 years, and quite possibly much longer. All of the secondary flavors, the spices, the mushrooms and the like will become more powerful and more integrated into the primary fruit and the tannins will soften. It will then be truly amazing. If you are drinking the wine soon select a robust red meat dish that has plenty of mushroom and bacon as assistants in the seasoning. These flavors will be re-inforced in the wine and therefore the flavors will intermingle much better. Make sure the dish has a slightly sweet sauce to soften the tannin at the back of the palate.

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