Located approximately 30 minutes north of Canberra in the small rural town of Murrumbateman, Clonakilla is one of the great success stories of Australian wine and home to some of the most impressive red wines made anywhere in the country.
The 2023 Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz is another bright, aromatic release with plenty of cherry and plum notes, with the palate delivering lovely balance and a subtle intensity highlighted by dark berry fruit flavours. Another ripping Hilltops Shiraz that is sure to be popular.
"95 Points. Great winemakers will always want to be judged by their most serious wines. Truly great winemakers can be seen in their more modest wines too. Stretching beyond Clonakilla’s Canberra district heartland and heading up to Hilltops in search of fruit, this is not so much a wine about site as it is sensibility. The Tim Kirk touch with shiraz, an innate ability to gently coax out dark berries, heady florals and exotic spices in their silkiest, most supple form, is clearly evident here. Masterful stuff. 13.5% alc. $35"- Nick Ryan, The Weekend Australian, Top 100 Wines 2025.
"A bit of a chameleon as it first appears spicy and herbal with sweet-sour flavours, then it changes to gutsy and flavoursome with a little meaty reduction. Still finding its way perhaps. It’s inky, with wafts of bitumen and pepper, flavours of kirsch, dark plums and cedary oak. Fuller bodied and fleshy with plentiful tannins; there’s a certain refinement, too, with fine acidity in tow. 93 Points. 13.5% alc. Drink: 2024 - 2033. Screwcap"- Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion.
