The 2024 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier is one of Australiaâs most iconic cool-climate red wines, renowned for redefining Australian Shiraz through a RhĂ´ne-inspired lens of perfume, spice, and finesse. Crafted by Clonakilla in the Canberra District, this benchmark wine combines Shiraz with a small proportion of Viognier, co-fermented to enhance aromatic lift, texture, and complexity.
Fruit is sourced from estate vineyards in Murrumbateman, where warm days, cool nights, and rocky soils provide ideal conditions for slow ripening and exceptional flavour definition. The 2024 vintage delivered fruit of outstanding purity and balance, producing a wine with vibrant aromatics, fine tannins, and remarkable elegance.
In the winery, Shiraz and Viognier were co-fermented using traditional RhĂ´ne-inspired techniques, allowing the varieties to integrate seamlessly while amplifying perfume and structural detail. Maturation in French oak barrels, including a restrained proportion of new oak, added subtle spice and savoury complexity while preserving freshness and vineyard expression.
The wine opens with intensely lifted aromas of blackberry, dark cherry, plum, and raspberry, layered with notes of white pepper, violet, olive tapenade, dried herbs, and exotic spice. The palate is medium-bodied and silky, balancing concentrated dark fruit with vibrant acidity and fine-grained tannins. The finish is exceptionally long, savoury, and mineral-driven, showcasing both power and finesse.
Approachable now with careful decanting, the 2024 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier will reward extended cellaring over 15â25+ years, developing extraordinary savoury and tertiary complexity over time.
A legendary Australian Shiraz and a defining expression of cool-climate elegance and RhĂ´ne-inspired winemaking.
