I still remember a special dinner from 2008, where I paired a 1990 Grange with a 1996 Astralis. The Astralis absolutely held its own with its combination of power and elegance. Then I lost contact with this wine. The price is above every day drinking and availability is low. Yet it is an intriguing wine.
This has to do with the location. When there is talk about full-bodied Shiraz, and a comparison between the Barossa and McLaren Vale, the Barossa tends to take first place. However, the northern part of McLaren Vale, Clarendon and Blewitt Springs, may just be perfect. The area is hilly, deep sand over limestone is the dominant soil type, and warm days are split by cool nights. Shiraz and Grenache excel here, think Bekkers and Yangarra - and Clarendon Hills.
So when the opportunity came up of a vertical tasting of Astralis, the flagship wine, I jumped at it. It turned out to be a fascinating experience of vintage variation and evolving style.
100ml bottles, perfect for tasting
Going from old to new, we started with the 2008 Astralis. It was a super hot year, with 18 consecutive days above 40 degrees C. And it shows in the wine, which has a deep purple colour. The wine is opulent and rich. Ripe plum and charred meat flavours fill the mouth, with espresso and black olive added to it. The tannins are velvety and long, and deliver an overall warm mouthfeel. There is some heat on the finish of this 15.5% alcohol wine. Present acidity and structure are still holding up.
Score: 93/+
The 2011 Astralis is a complete contrast. You may remember, this was the wettest vintage since 1974. Many producers did not make wine. This wine has a lighter colour. Blue fruits, black cherry and spice, as well as menthol stimulate the palate. The tannins are firm, before the wine finishes slightly on the thin side. It is remarkable how this wine stands up after 12 years.
Score: 93/+
These two wines saw extreme weather, but when the growing conditions are good, you get something like the 2012 Astralis. This wine delivers infinite perfume on the nose. The blackberry flavours are vibrant and spicy, with silky tannins and an elegant mouthfeel. The wine has quite a tight structure with firm tannins and an extra long finish. It turned out to be my favorite of the night.
Score: 98/+++
The 2015 Astralis, from an excellent warmer growing year, received 100 points from the Parker Wine Advocate. It is a little riper and more generous than the 2012 (which is not a shy wine). The wine is also gentle and very elegant. This is where Astralis delivers the power/elegance balance perfectly. Blueberry and blackberry fruit is more fleshy here. The typical for Astralis black olive flavour is present, and hazelnut flavours remind us that there is a good portion of new French oak (40+%?) in these wines.
Score: 97/++
2018 Astralis is from another year with ideal growing conditions. The wine is very dark, with concentrated blackberry fruit and black olive. There is some sweetness on the mid-palate which I found irritating. This is a muscular, powerful wine which needs more time to fully come together and mellow. It shows that Astralis is made for the long haul and should not be drunk too early.
Score: 94/+
The 2020 Astralis is proof of some development in style. The founding winemaker Roman Bratasiuk (he started in 1990) is very private, with firm views. But the next generation starts to have some influence with this wine. This wine is fresher, with 1% point less alcohol. The blue fruits and espresso flavours deliver immediate well balanced complexity. The wine delivers an elegant mouthfeel with perfectly balanced acidity, drying tannins, and a very long finish.
Score: 96/+++
The challenge for the future, as I see it, will be to deliver the recent found freshness, while maintaining the fruit concentration and power, which can make this wine quite unique.
No comments:
Post a Comment