Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz 2017

I'll be honest with you. Australian Shiraz is usually not my thing. Too big, too bruising, and sometimes there's a bit of residual sugar in the commercially-made wines that just throws me off. It's never been my vibe. But my brother kept telling me about this winery, and then late one night, after a way too long shift, someone poured me a glass. And I had this moment. That aha thing where you realize you've been missing out on something special for years. Oh wow. This is what he was talking about.

In 1968, a research scientist named Dr. John Kirk moved from the UK to Australia to work at the CSIRO. Three years later, he started planting vines near a village called Murrumbateman, about 50 kilometres north of Canberra. He named the place Clonakilla after his grandfather's farm in Ireland. It means "meadow of the church." Here's the thing about that spot near Murrumbateman, 50 kilometres north of Canberra. It's 2000 feet above sea level, inland, elevated, with warm days and cool nights through a long late summer. That's not typical Australian Shiraz territory. That's something closer to the Northern Rhône.

Dr. John Kirk started planting there in 1971, naming the place Clonakilla after his grandfather's farm in Ireland. His son Tim took over as winemaker in 1996, and together they've spent decades proving that Australian Shiraz doesn't have to be a big, bruising Barossa bomb.

This Hilltops Shiraz is made from five different vineyards on southwest-facing slopes. Fermented in open tanks, aged 11 months in French oak (only 15 per cent new), then another three months in bottle before release. Blind tasters routinely place this in the Rhône Valley rather than Australia. Red and dark berries, cherries, raspberries, a little black currant, with lots of pepper and spice woven through. Dark, deep, dark again. But also crisp and elegant. Full of finesse. Definitely not your average Australian Shiraz.