Clarendon Hills Brookman Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Clarendon Hills is a South Australian winery, founded in 1990 by Roman Bratasiuk in the McLaren Vale wine region. Their vineyards are found within the sub-regions of Clarendon, Blewitt Springs and Kangarilla, home to some of the world's oldest vineyards. Wines from Clarendon Hill are varietal expressions, made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre. They are arranged into a cru-like classification, influenced by Roman Bratasiuk's love for France. The prestige cuvée, Astralis, is labeled as "Premier Grand Cru", and is made from old vines that were planted in 1920. Yields are extremely low, with only around 500 cases produced each year. The estate was one of the first in Australia to exclusively bottle their wines as single-vineyard expressions, rather than blending wine sourced from multiple vineyards. These are found at a higher elevation than most vineyards in the region, which creates cooler night time temperatures to help retain acidity. Grapes are all handpicked and then fermented in open-topped stainless steel tanks with the use of natural yeasts. Clarendon Hills exclusively use French oak barrels for maturation with a majority spending 18 months in oak prior to bottling.