Andrew Cullimore

9.2

Quite pale colour , light straw . Quite discreet on the nose at first , a bit o candle wax , lime juice , and wet wool . Quite classic and showing a little maturity . On the palate this is reasonably intense though elegant with lime syrup , touch of vanilla , lots of freshness still , but a lightly creamy mid palate and good length with lightly toasty finish . This is perfect now but will last well a further decade I would imagine . At Guy Savoy , Caesars Palace , Las Vegas — 7 days ago

Jordan puckett

9.1

Pretty solid !! — 2 months ago

Big Wave Dave

9.3

Home vineyard bottling. Dark and brooding on the nose. Classic Central. Dark fruit, savoury spice, earth. The palate has good weight and concentration of dark slightly sour cherry, and wood spice. Enough acid to provide the structure needed to hold the power together — 4 months ago

Andrea Watt

9.3

Quite good with toffee, apricot, honey, almond, and marmalade. — 6 months ago

Thomas Hillskog

9.0

Still fresh and fruity with with typical, complex maturity flavours. — 7 months ago

Douglas Braun

9.1

2022 -Vintage - very floral pretty aromatics good balance — 8 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.3

Clonakilla O’Riada Shiraz 2023
Canberra District, Australia 🇦🇺

Overview
A cool-climate Shiraz sourced from Clonakilla’s estate vineyards and selected sites in Murrumbateman and Hall, delivering a layered, elegant, and highly approachable expression of Canberra District Syrah. Rather than power and heat, this wine emphasizes aromatic lift, red-fruit purity, and graceful structure, shaped by the region’s clay-driven soils and precise ripening conditions.

Aromas & Flavors
Highly perfumed aromatics jump from the glass with vibrant red berries, cranberry, fresh plum skin, and subtle floral tones. The palate mirrors the nose beautifully, offering juicy red cherry, gentle spice, and soft earthy undertones with excellent clarity and progression. Everything feels expressive yet controlled, with freshness driving the overall balance.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied, silky, and energetic. The texture is smooth and polished with fine tannins and lively acidity, giving the wine a graceful flow across the palate. Approachable and effortless to drink without sacrificing depth or finesse.

Food Pairings
Grilled lamb chops with herbs. Roast chicken with mushroom jus. Charcuterie and soft aged cheeses. Duck breast with cherry reduction. Mediterranean vegetable dishes.

Verdict
A refined, cool-climate Shiraz that feels more about elegance than intensity. Perfumed, vibrant, and beautifully composed, this is a wine that delivers complexity without heaviness, polished, expressive, and quietly impressive.

Did You Know?
Canberra District sits at higher elevation with cooler nights than many Australian regions, preserving acidity and aromatic freshness in Shiraz. Clay-based soils help regulate water stress and promote slow, even ripening, contributing to purity and balance rather than overt ripeness.

🍷 Personal Pick
I love when a wine smells exactly like it tastes — this one delivers pure harmony between nose and palate. Youthful, vibrant, impossible to stop at one glass, and deceptively elegant. A dangerous crowd-pleaser with real finesse. — 9 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

If this was poured blind, 95% of all Somm’s would call it Burgundy. For me this is better than white Burgundy as it is far less expensive than Premier Cru or Grand Cu Burgundy and just as good.

A bit tricky to find and this was in the higher $40 range. When I can find it, I generally get six.

Still a bit young, but gorgeous.

Central Otago still had the long even cool climate that is slowly escaping Burgundy, which is key for excellent acidity.

The body round and a touch waxy. Mildly Meyer sour lemons, lime pulp, green apple, some white stone fruit, pineapple, caramel, honey comb, limestone, sea spray, almond sliver’s, butterscotch, soft volcanic mineral powder, hints of gun flint, dry river stone, yellow & white flowers, excellent acidity, beautiful structure/tension, endless balance with an elegant finish that lasts 90 seconds and long sets on white spice.

Photos of; the Felton Road property and my walk of it with owner Nigel Greening. — a day ago

Benjamin Hickey

9.1

Very rich, stewed fruit. Needs a tuck more acid but very yum — 3 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

No note on Delectable since May 2017 - 473 weeks ago. Smoked meat, Asian spices - an intoxicating nose. On the medium bodied palate - sweet red fruits with spices. Tim Kirk, the owner and winemaker said at the time it was the best Shiraz Viognier he had ever made for what is considered the benchmark for this blend in Australia. 98 points from HH and 18.5 points+ from Jancis. Very detailed as you would expect from Tim Kirk. — 4 months ago

Matt Austin

Owner/Winemaker, Grosgrain Vineyards, Walla Walla, WA

8.9

Mega earthy — 6 months ago

Magnus Hovet

9.2

Really smooth. A lot more dark plums, and softer tannins. Earthiness, small amount of spice and looong aftertaste — 7 months ago

Pete

9.1

Crisp! Some acidity but not hateful, green apple and some grapefruit. Sadly purchased on close out, hope I can find again. — 8 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Pale lemon with aromas of stone and citrus fruits with herb notes from young vines. On the palate flavors of lemon and peach with herb and honey notes. Lively acidity, medium+ finish ending with citrus and spice. Nice! — 5 years ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.0

vintage 2016 Vibrant — 5 days ago

Lauren Willis

9.0

🍷✔️✔️ lovely smooth drinking — 14 days ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

One of the Hunter Valleys premium Cuvees honouring the legendary Maurice O’Shea. Very dark ruby - impenetrable in colour. Aromatics of sweet earth - very earthy - plum, red berry and dark chocolate - very Hunter Valley. Amazingly strong for a 27 year old wine. Very Rich, full bodied and concentrated for a Hunter Valley wine. I’ve commented on this before that there was a period of 10 plus years where HV wines were made to imitate South Australian wines - ripe and full bodied. This wine represents that style. Thankfully the current style is more medium bodied but nevertheless this is an outstanding wine with at least 10 plus years left in it. — 3 months ago

Big Wave Dave

9.6

Outstanding block 5. Much more concentration and power than precious vintages. Strawberry, raspberry, pepper, wood spice. The power of the very best from Central Otago but with an elegance.
Really great pinot.
— 5 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.4

Hopefully Delectable will allow me to write a complete note. Here we go ….
Dark Ruby with a crimson rim. Closed on the nose initially. Straight from the bottle - should have decanted it. Rich on the palate. Latent power with much to give. Dark cherry with dried herbs still to come with further cellaring. This is the first of 5 bottles. In the early days Block 3 was the undisputed best Pinot in NZ but now Block 5 is considered along with other contenders from around NZ. Have the next one in a year. Many good judges think this is the best ever Block 3 up to this point. — 7 months ago

Sally Rose McCormack

9.1

Bought in Wanaka, best wine out of all the ones during the wine tasting. Delicious!!

Saved the bottle and drank 4 years later, was a little tangy. We probably left it too long. Still really nice though! — 5 years ago