1998 Clarendon Hills Shiraz Astralis

A sensational wine, the 1998 Syrah Astralis is a candidate for perfection. It boasts an inky/purple color as well as a big, complex, sweet perfume of charcoal, spring flowers, blackberry liqueur, roasted meats, and damp, forest floor-like notes. Enormously endowed, with good acid, backstrapping tannin levels, fabulous concentration, and a layered mouthfeel, it is beginning to throw off some of its closed, impenetrable personality. A long-termer, it needs another 5-7 years to fully open, and should last for 2-3 decades thereafter. Jun 2009, www.robertparker.com

Bright dark ruby. Very fresh but brooding aromas of crystallized black raspberry, violet, dark chocolate, mocha and game. Rather closed and unforthcoming on the palate, but the wine's great depth of flavor and precision are already apparent. A step up from the last two wines in sheer intensity. Finishes with great sweetness of fruit, superb grip, and noble tannins that coat the teeth. This will be lush with five or six years of bottle age. Also tasted: 1998 Shiraz Brookman Vineyard Clarendon.