Clonakilla O’Riada Shiraz 2024
- 94
- $48
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Sweet raspberry coulis, red cherry and cranberry leap from the glass, followed by a lovely countervailing of balsamic, wood smoke and woody baking spices — nutmeg, cassia bark. Things deepen with air to show cocoa powder, subtle dark chocolate, blackberry and gentle plum. Very alluring and complex. The palate is lifted and vibrant while maintaining intensity; it glides across the mouth with sweet spice, plum, blackberry, cherry cola and cocoa powder. Elegant and intense at once, with grainy, fine-but-firm integrated tannins. Cocoa powder bitterness permeates a long finish where the acid surges and rolls in waves. A classy O’Riada, and a classy wine in and of itself. Spend circa $48, cellar it, and enjoy the reward.
Tom Kline is a wine writer, reviewer, presenter, and educator based in Victoria, Australia. He is the Australian correspondent for the internationally respected publications Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy and Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux, where he highlights the top tier of Australian wine for a global audience. Tom also writes for leading outlets including Decanter (UK), Wine Spectator (US), and Halliday Magazine, among others. An experienced wine show judge and WSET educator, he has authored several consumer-focused wine courses aimed at making wine more accessible and engaging. In 2023, Tom was awarded Best Published Feature Article or Wine Column at the prestigious Wine Communicator Awards, presented by Wine Communicators of Australia.
