Clonakilla

Clonakilla is one of Australia’s leading wine estates, with an enviable reputation for Shiraz/Viognier. Founded by Dr John Kirk in the 1970s, the winery has, to quote Erin Larkin (The Wine Advocate), “put the Canberra District on the world wine map”.

Clonakilla means ‘meadow of the church’ in Gaelic and is the name of Dr John Kirk’s grandfather’s farm in County Clare, Ireland, close to where he grew up. John’s parents owned a hotel in County Clare, and as a 14-year-old, he was tasked with managing the wine cellar during school holidays. He began to read and learn about the great wine regions of Europe and became, as he put it, “a non-drinking, teenage expert.” Following scientific studies at Cambridge University and postdoctoral work at Oxford, John moved to Australia in 1968 with his young family to take up a research position in Canberra. Not long after arriving, he started researching the region in earnest. Convinced of its potential for grape growing and ignoring all those who told him Canberra was too cold for viticulture, he planted the Clonakilla vineyard at Murrumbateman in 1971, 40 kilometres north of Canberra.

In 1991, Tim Kirk, the fourth of John’s six sons, travelled to the Rhône Valley. There he tasted several inspirational wines, including Marcel Guigal’s single-vineyard blends. Inspired by these Côte-Rôtie wines, he began including a small amount of Viognier in the Clonakilla Shiraz from 1992. Tim took over full responsibility for winemaking at the 12-hectare family farm in 1997 and has since carved a reputation for excellence with his signature Shiraz/Viognier blend. As Tim explains, the aim is to “give the landscape a voice”. Depending on the vintage, about 5% Viognier is co-fermented with Shiraz, using 20-30% whole-bunches, before maturing for 12 months in French oak (25% new). Both the 2022 and 2023 seasons were characteristically cool, producing classic releases of this iconic, cool-climate wine, displaying lifted aromas of red berries, cracked pepper and spice. On average, they produce about 2000 cases of Shiraz/Viognier, which sells out quickly year after year.

The ‘Hilltops’ Shiraz, made from fruit bought in from other growers, is the baby brother of the estate’s flagship wine. Forward, accessible, and superbly balanced, it is a fantastic introduction to one of Australia’s most cherished wineries.