Print this Wine         1998 Clonakilla Shiraz-Viognier   CANBERRA DISTRICT                 January Release   Shiraz       First thing first. There is very little of this wine, production being dramatically reduced with spring frosts. The good side of this is that the quality is even better than the majority of previous vintages. Typically Clonakilla produces Shiraz that is on the delicate side of the spectrum. This wine is firmly over on the rich and full-bodied side of the ledger. The fruit flavors are plums and mulberry with spice in the form of licorice and cinnamon. In addition there is a lifted musky perfume from the inclusion of 5% Viognier It comes as no surprise to discover that the grapes used for this harvest came from the warmest ripening period in Clonakilla's history. On the palate the wine is quite luscious and chewy. This is quite unusual for Clonakilla, particularly at such an early age. They are noticeably lean in their youth, building richness and flavor with time in the bottle. With this wine you do not have to wait. Tim Kirk is very sensitive to the differences each new harvest brings and he adjusts his winemaking practices accordingly. He has particularly ripe fruit so he has given the wine a little more new oak, extracted a fraction more tannin and the overall effect is a wine that is totally balanced. The finish of the wine sees plenty of acid as well as the tannins. Certainly the riper more generous style would indicate that the wine is already drinking. However, this wine has been built with a lot more structure than previous vintages so it has the potential to age for a particularly long period of time. Perhaps the easiest way out of this dilemma is to try a bottle or two whilst it is young and assess it on a regular basis. If you do decide to try a bottle now choose a dish that will highlight the perfume and spice of the wine. A piece of lamb fillet tossed in a Middle Eastern inspired spice mix and served with couscous would accentuate the spicy nature of the wine.

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