2000 Shiraz/Viognier, Clonakilla

Violet Ember

Clonakilla’s 2000 Shiraz Viognier is a landmark Australian red now wearing its maturity with real grace. The perfume is the star: dried violet, rosehip, red cherry, raspberry, black pepper, smoked tea, leather, game and a gentle savoury earthiness. It has the lifted aromatics of Viognier, the spice of cool-climate Shiraz and the calm, settled confidence of a bottle that has travelled beautifully.

On the palate, it is fine-boned, savoury and silky rather than heavy, with red fruit, dried herbs, pepper, cedar and soft gamey complexity. The 2000 vintage gives it a more European feel, poised and quietly intricate, with freshness still running through the finish. Drink now, ideally with a careful decant for sediment and a glass large enough to let the perfume unfurl.

For when
A great Australian bottle deserves a long table and unhurried conversation.

Pairs with
Roast duck, lamb shoulder, venison, pigeon, mushroom pithivier, chargrilled aubergine, hard cheeses or slow-cooked beef with herbs.

Clonakilla is one of the defining names of modern Australian wine, founded by John Kirk at Murrumbateman in 1971 and later transformed by Tim Kirk’s vision for Shiraz Viognier after his Côte-Rôtie inspiration. The 2000 vintage has 6% Viognier co-fermented with Shiraz, including one-third whole bunches and 12 months in 30% new oak. Today, this wine stands as a mature chapter in the story of a bottling that helped redefine Australian Shiraz through fragrance, finesse and place.