Mar 1

Written by: Jarrod Price
3/1/2008 3:48 PM

Roman Bratasiuk has been at the forefront of winemaking in Australia since 1990. Located in McLaren Vale, South Australia, his winery produces only 800 to 1000 cases from each of his 16 single vineyards planted with the oldest vines of Grenache, Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon aged between 70 to 100 years.

Robert Parker: “Roman Bratasiuk is one of Planet Earth's greatest winemakers and obviously a top-notch viticulturist given his obsession with sourcing extraordinary fruit from ancient McLaren Vale vineyards. If Penfolds Grange has been the most legendary wine in Australia, my instincts suggest that in the future, if any winery surpasses Grange, it will be made by Roman Bratasiuk of Clarendon Hills in McLaren Vale."

Unlike many of the best Australian wines, Bratasiuk's influences, more than most of his peers, have been formed by his love of French wine. He has invested enormously in a state-of-the-art winery, secured some of the finest old vine Grenache and Syrah vineyards in McLaren Vale, and to his credit, believes in aging everything in more subtle French oak, which certainly puts him among the minority of Australian producers, who believe the more aggressive, sometimes overwhelming characteristics of American oak are better suited for their wines. His wines are all made from incredibly low yields, fermented with indigenous yeasts, and bottled with no fining nor filtration.

For a limited time, Vintages is offering a rare opportunity to purchase magnums of their brilliant 2004 vintage. These magnum bottles have an even greater potential for long-term cellaring than the standard 750ml size. Here are the wines being offered:

• 2004 Astralis Syrah (LCBO# 70144 | $875.00 /btl) Clarendon Hills’ flagship Syrah "boasts off the charts intensity as well as an opaque purple color, and notes of spring flowers, blueberries, blackberries, roasted coffee beans, pepper, smoke, and a hint of sweet toasty oak." Robert Parker 98
• 2004 Brookman Syrah (LCBO# 70128 | $215.00 /btl) "A black, sexy beast, the 2004 Syrah Brookman offers up amazingly full-bodied, intense, blackberry fruit intermixed with notions of roasted coffee, flowers, and creme de cassis." Robert Parker 95
• 2004 Hickinbotham Cabernet Sauvignon (LCBO# 70169 | $175 /btl) "offers up aromas of creme de cassis, graphite, chocolate, coffee, and tobacco leaves. This powerful, rich, full-bodied effort needs at least 4-5 years of cellaring, and should keep for two decades or more. Robert Parker 94
• 2004 Hickinbotham Syrah (LCBO# 70094 | $210.00 /btl) "One of McLaren Vale’s most astonishing Syrahs...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" Robert Parker 95
• 2004 Moritz Syrah (LCBO# 70094 | $175.00 /btl) "An amazing performance.....Gorgeous aromas of flowers, blueberries, cassis, and meat jump from the glass of this cuvee. With huge body and a rich, intense style. Robert Parker 95
• 2004 Piggot Range Syrah (LCBO# 70136 | $450.00 /btl) "This is a powerful, intense Syrah meant for true connoisseurs who have cold cellars as well as enough patience to wait it out. A perfume of crushed rocks, acacia flowers, blackberries, roasted coffee, pepper, spice, bacon fat, and a subtle touch of eucalyptus is followed by a deep, rich, full-bodied wine that should age for 20-25 years" Robert Parker 95
• 2004 Romas Grenache (LCBO#70177 | $215.00 /btl) "The estate’s flagship Grenache...exhibits gorgeous notes of loamy soil, truffles, kirsch, spice box, blackberries, and licorice." Robert Parker 94
• 2004 Sandown Cabernet Sauvignon (LCBO# 70151 | $157.00 /btl) "Super-concentrated, intense, and black as a moonless night.....full-bodied, powerful, rich, impressive Cabernet" Robert Parker 94

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