Clarendon Hills Romas Grenache 2010 | Its $59+ everywhere else – exclusive buy!
The Clarendon Hills Romas Grenache 2010 from 100-point winemaker Roman Bratasiuk is deep crimson with ruby overtones. The wine leads with luscious red and black plum as well as dried blueberry and strawberry notes. The backdrop shows dark upturned earth, mint eucalyptus and dried herbs kissed by smoke. There is a density and fullness to the palate that is round and decadent.
94JH | There is another level of concentration in the Clarendon Hills Romas Grenache 2010. It delves into the very syrup of plum, raspberry and prune with a little-dried herb complexity thrown in for good measure. The palate is dense and brooding, massively proportioned and thickly textured. In addition to being long and luscious while full of chewy tannins.
Read more about Red Gems under $35
The Clarendon Hills Romas Grenache 2010 is full-bodied and endowed with a good core of muscular fruit. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it is redolent with aromas of ripe red plums, warm cranberries and red currants. In addition, the wine is fused with Chinese five spice and preserved mandarin peel notes. It is supported with firm, grainy tannins and crisp acid. It finishes long with just a little alcohol warmth. Drink this one 2014 to 2022+. — Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW
About 100-point winemaker Roman Bratasiuk
Since founding Clarendon Hills winery in the north of McLaren Vale, 100-point winemaker Roman Bratasiuk has done the seemingly impossible: elevated the estate, in under three decades, to a level that rivals Australia’s First Families of Wine, many of whom have been in operation for 150 years. The 2010 Clarendon Hills Romas Grenache is a stellar expression of this pioneering producer. It is perfectly aged and shows off the depth and richness of great Aussie Grenache from pre-phylloxera, century-old vines.
Explore today’s finds at Wine Access
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate gave the 2010 Romas 93 points, and Parker himself has said plainly: “Roman Bratasiuk is one of Planet Earth’s greatest winemakers.” The leading authority on Australian wine, James Halliday, went one higher rating this 94 points calling it “long and luscious.” I’m proud to be able to share this benchmark Australian Grenache with Wine Access clients. Elsewhere $59. Or just $33 per bottle exclusively for Wine Access.
Clarendon Hills Winery
Unlike the top Australian wineries that have been around since the 19th century, the history of Clarendon Hills belongs to one man. About 30 years ago Roman Bratasiuk arranged the purchase of his first grapes by knocking on growers’ doors in McLaren Vale. The future of Australia wine might just hinge on Bratasiuk. Per Robert Parker: “If Penfolds Grange has been the most legendary wine in Australia, my instincts suggest that in the future, if any winery surpasses Grange, it will be made by Roman Bratasiuk of Clarendon Hills in McLaren Vale. In the beginning of his career, Bratasiuk put in 15-hour days, harvesting all of the fruit himself. From the early days when he would return home with his hands stained purple, Bratasiuk has made Clarendon Hills one of the most touted wineries in the world.
If Clarendon Hills is built on anything other than Bratasiuk’s vision, it’s old vines. Some of the most ancient vines on earth are rooted in Aussie soil. With vines of such maturity, some regions have implemented label designations for vines of 35, 70, 100, and even 125 years. The Grenache grows on the steep slopes of the Blewitt Springs vineyard which was planted in 1920. The vines’ age and the rocky, poor soils in which they grow. This limits their production to a half-ton per acre, resulting in supremely concentrated and structured wines.