Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier 2018
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1 or more bottles$110.00
Editors notes
This is a truly glorious wine that draws you back again and again to explore the wealth of red fruit flavours, and the majesty of its textures and flavours.
It has a super complex array of white and black peppers, hard brown spices, leaves, flowers and fresh wet earth, as well as graphite-like dark stony notes. The palate is immaculately detailed, long and silky with flavors of blackberries, red cherries, red plums, dark cherries, blackberries and dark chocolate. The palate is delivered with steady elegance and power, showing unwavering build and a seemingly never-ending trail of fresh and spicy fruit flavors. With the most immaculate tannins, too.
Details
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Wine Type
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Vintage
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Variety
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Brand
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Location
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Cellaring
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Closure
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Alcohol Percentage
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Bottle Size
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Oak Type
Tasting Profile
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Light (Light)Full (Full)
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Low Tannin (Low Tannin)Tannic (Tannic)
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Sweet (Sweet)Dry (Dry)
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Low Acidity (Low Acidity)High Acidity (High Acidity)
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Aroma
- Blackberry
- Blueberry
- Pepper
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Palate
- Blackberry
- Fruit Cake
- Tobacco
Food Pairings
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Pork
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Red Meat
Critic Scores & reviews
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James Suckling
99"This is phenomenal, so precise and concentrated with such detail and power, delivered with elegance and precision…"
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Huon Hooke
98"There’s great intensity as well as elegance here…A delicious wine in a medium-bodied but seriously structured style"
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Campbell Mattinson
96"Australia’s best shiraz isn’t Australia’s best shiraz in every year, though Clonakilla comes close. This 2018 may well be the best shiraz released in Australia this year. It’s a superb release. Just look at the tannin profile and then put down your glasses. Black berried fruit, a suggestion of meatiness, whispers of woodsy spice notes, a certain creaminess, a quick shake of pepper, a touch of volatility. Nothing protrudes; it’s the definition of seamless. The screw of tannin, so often left to last, begins almost at the start. We are looking at an ultra long term wine here, deserving of prime space in the best of cellars."
Other vintages
Love this wine? Here's a list of other vintages we have in stock if you'd like to try them as well.
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- Variety Shiraz Blend
- Vintage 2017
- Brand Clonakilla
- Cellaring 15 Plus Years
- Wine Type Red
- Alcohol Percentage 14.0% Alcohol
Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier 2017-
Campbell Mattin96 points
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Tyson Stelzer96 points
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Nick Stock98 points
$134.99 -
- Variety Shiraz Blend
- Vintage 2016
- Brand Clonakilla
- Cellaring 15 Plus Years
- Wine Type Red
- Alcohol Percentage 14.0% Alcohol
Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier 2016-
James Halliday98 points
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Tyson Stelzer97 points
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James Suckling96 points
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Campbell Mattin96 points
$140.00 -
- Variety Shiraz Blend
- Vintage 2014
- Brand Clonakilla
- Cellaring 15 Plus Years
- Wine Type Red
- Alcohol Percentage 13.5% Alcohol
Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier 2014-
James Halliday96 points
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Campbell Mattin95 points
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Jancis Robinson18.5 points
$149.99
Current auction
All current auctions for this wine & any different vintages.
Locations
Australia
Australia's wine industry is a thriving part of the country's economy, contributing significantly to employment, production, export, and tourism. In fact, the industry is the fourth-largest wine exporter in the world, shipping out 760 million liters of wine to countries including France, Italy, Spain, and the UK. One of the key factors contributing to Australia's success as a "New World" wine producer is the formal export and marketing of its wines through Wine Australia.
Australia's wine regions are scattered across the south and southeast, with almost every state boasting its own vineyards. Victoria, for example, is home to an impressive 21 wine regions. Some of the most famous wine regions in Australia include Margaret River, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Eden Valley, Clare Valley, Hunter Valley, Yarra Valley, and local regions to New South Wales such as Cowra, Southern Highlands, and Mudgee.
Australian winemakers are known for producing a diverse range of grape varieties, with Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir being among the most popular. They tend to focus on producing wines that are ripe, fruit-forward, and easy to drink, using modern winemaking techniques and equipment such as stainless steel tanks and temperature-controlled fermentation.
With its bold, fruit-driven flavors and reputation for quality and diversity, Australian wine has become a popular choice for wine lovers around the world. And with such a broad range of wine regions and grape varieties, there's something for every palate to enjoy.

New South Wales
New South Wales, is a wine-lover's paradise with 14 official wine regions that cater to every palate. The region boasts Australia's oldest wine-producing area, the Hunter Valley, as well as newer and exciting cool climate regions like Orange, the Southern Highlands, and Tumbarumba. With its status as the second-largest wine-producing state in Australia, New South Wales attracts wine enthusiasts from around the world. However, despite its production, the region's wine consumption far outpaces its output due to its high population.
In addition to its diverse range of wine regions, New South Wales is also known for its excellent food and wine events. The Hunter Valley, for example, is home to the famous Hunter Valley Food and Wine Festival, which attracts thousands of visitors each year. The festival features tastings, cooking demonstrations, live music, and other activities that showcase the region's local produce and wines.
Furthermore, the New South Wales wine industry is committed to sustainable practices and environmentally-friendly production. Many wineries in the state are certified organic or biodynamic, and there is a growing trend towards low-intervention winemaking. This means that the wines produced in New South Wales not only taste great but are also produced in an ethical and environmentally conscious way.
Other regions within New South Wales, such as the Canberra District, Cowra, Gundagai, Hastings River, Hilltops, Mudgee, New England, Perricoota, Riverina, and the Shoalhaven Coast, produce some of the finest Australian wines, making New South Wales a must-visit destination for wine connoisseurs.

Canberra District
Although winemaking started 160 years ago in Canberra District, the viticulture of this region was revived in the 1970s. Situated in the wider area of southern New South Wales, surrounding Australian Capital Territory, the region is famous for their Shiraz and Rieslings due to their cool climate. Canberra District wine region was granted GI (Geographical Indication) in 1998 although the district was home to very few vineyards at that time. Today, wineries such as Clonakilla and Ravensworth have paved the way for putting Canberra District on the map as an up- and-coming wine region to watch in Australia.
Located about 150 kilometers inland from the Pacific Ocean, the vineyards are on lands of varying altitudes ranging from 300-800 meters which causes variation in temperature and soil types. The climate of Canberra District can be described as having a continental climate, which is characterized by big differences in temperature during the day and night. The region is capable of producing some of the nations finest Shiraz and Riesling.

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About the brand Clonakilla
John Kirk planted his first vines at Murrumbateman in the Canberra District in 1971 and named his winery Clonakilla, meaning 'meadow of the church', after his grandfather's farm in County Clare, Ireland.
Eschewing the traditional Australian Cabernet Shiraz blend, John set about crafting single varietal Shiraz. After a visit to Guigal winery in the Rhône Valley's Côte Rôtie in 1991, John's son Tim returned to Australia and started to experiment in the winery, co-fermenting Shiraz with a small amount of Viognier as he saw in France.
The first vintage was produced in 1992. In 1996, feeling pulled in two directions; Tim left his teaching position at a Jesuit school to permanently take on the winemaking and General Manager roles at his family's estate.
The current Clonakilla portfolio consists of Shiraz, Viognier, Riesling, Chardonnay and a Bordeaux Blend. In 2013, Tim was awarded the coveted title of 'Australian Winemaker of the Year' by Gourmet Traveller magazine and his Shiraz-Viognier is often heralded as one of Australia's great reds.