Clarendon Hills Brookman Vineyard Syrah, McLaren Vale

Clarendon Hills Brookman Vineyard Syrah is drawn from a mature site planted in 1949 on clay and ironstone soils in Blewitt Springs, a subregion known for producing Syrah with both weight and definition. The vineyard is dry-grown and low-yielding, encouraging concentration and natural balance. Winemaker Roman Bratasiuk handles the fruit with minimal intervention—wild ferment, no fining or filtration—and matures the wine in French oak, largely new, for around 18 months.

The result is a Syrah that consistently exhibits aromas of dark fruit, charcuterie, and dried herbs, with a dense yet composed palate. There’s structure from the tannins and a long finish shaped by acidity rather than oak. While it drinks well young with decanting, it has a clear track record for ageing. Brookman sits between the finesse of Liandra and the power of Onkaparinga in the Clarendon Hills range—made for collectors and serious McLaren Vale drinkers alike.