2004 Hickinbotham Syrah
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Tasting notes
One of McLaren Vale’s most astonishing Syrahs is Clarendon Hills’ amazing 2004 Syrah Hickinbotham. Its inky/blue/purple hue is accompanied by aromas and flavors of creme de cassis, smoked meats, melted licorice, coffee beans, graphite, and bacon fat. Extremely full-bodied, powerful, and rich, with moderately high tannin, huge structure as well as massive concentration and intensity, but a sense of elegance, balance, and equilibrium, it should be cellared for 2-3 years, and drunk over the following two decades. Importer: Wine Brokers Unlimited, tel. (866) 416-9463
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Inky purple. Expansive bouquet of dark fruit liqueur, with potent spicecake and coffee accents. A major mouthful, the spicy dark berry flavors threatening to blow your head off, with deeper tar and espresso tones adding a sensation of depth. Firm tannins help to maintain focus, but this is a serious, scorched-earth wine, with the concentration and sheer flavor intensity to obliterate almost any dish that I can think of.
One of McLaren Vale’s most astonishing Syrahs is Clarendon Hills’ amazing 2004 Syrah Hickinbotham. Its inky/blue/purple hue is accompanied by aromas and flavors of creme de cassis, smoked meats, melted licorice, coffee beans, graphite, and bacon fat. Extremely full-bodied, powerful, and rich, with moderately high tannin, huge structure as well as massive concentration and intensity, but a sense of elegance, balance, and equilibrium, it should be cellared for 2-3 years, and drunk over the following two decades. Oct 2006, www.robertparker.com
About the producer
Based in the McLaren Vale, Clarendon Hills has been one of the pioneering names in Australian wine. Focusing on single-site expressions of individual grapes, working with old dry-farmed vineyards, it has become one of the world’s leading producers, best known for its iconic Astralis Shiraz.