Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier 2017 - Canberra - Australia

99/100 James Suckling
96/100 The Wine Front
96/100 Robert Parker The Wine Advocate
95/100 Tom Cannavan, Australian Wine Companion

Ranked 4th - James Suckling Top 100 Aussie Wines 2019

James Halliday Best Varietal Awards: 2021 Best Shiraz Viognier Wines

Halliday Wine Award 2021 Judges Comment "Fragrant to the point of perfumed aromas of spices, rose petals and red fruit blossom. The palate is, as ever, very complex, with spice berries sewn together in a necklace of tannins. The length is all one could wish for. "

James Suckling "...This is phenomenal, so precise and concentrated with such detail and power, delivered with elegance and precision. The palate is super long. The best vintage made at Clonakilla to date! Perfection! ...Incredibly complex aromas of baking spices, fresh red fruit and a fine and elegant, floral edge, as well as red cherries, raspberries and red plums."

Tom Cannavan, Australian Wine Companion "An 'icon' wine that lives up to its reputation, this was one of the wines of the trip from the 200 or so I tasted in late 2016. 5% Viognier is co-fermented with the Shiraz, giving a touch of peachiness and floral character, pretty at first, then some almost rhubarb and chestnut notes. The palate is medium-bodied and so freshly juicy, lots of taut acid and tannin, but it has a certain grace, gently wrapped in its fragrance and cool mineral and sweet vanilla finish."

The Winemaker "There is no doubt 2018 is one of the great vintages. A lower than average crop produced fruit with soaring aromas and intense energy through the palate. “This is phenomenal, so precise and concentrated with such detail and power, delivered with elegance and precision…”

Clonakilla is an Australian winery based in the Canberra wine region of Murrumbateman, New South Wales. Clonakilla was the first commercial winery to open in the region and founder John Kirk is often referred to as the "father" of the wine industry in the area. Clonakilla, which translates as "meadow of the church", are most famous for their Shiraz-Viognier. Wine critic, James Halliday describes Clonakilla as "paving the way for numerous others to follow" and yet that it "remains the icon".

Canberra is a sleeping giant of Australian wine. The ability of this region to produce world-class wines in only a relatively short history is almost second to none in the whole country. With the ability to produce everything from perfumed and tightly wound Syrah, to razor-sharp Riesling and a wide array of emerging varieties and techniques, Canberra will be one of the ‘must-watch’ wine-producing regions in Australia for many years to come.

Shiraz is the name given to the dark-skinned Syrah grape when grown in Australia and selected pockets of the New World. Though genetically identical, the stylistic differences between Shiraz and Syrah are usually pronounced.

Shiraz is so important to Australian viticulture that it is the most planted grape variety in the majority of Australian vineyards and has become virtually synonymous with the country's wine regions, and in particular the Barossa Valley.