Over time it has established a reputation as one of the most reliable go-to wines on the Australian wine landscape.
Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
About the Wine
It would be hard to find a consistently better value, better-reviewed wine from a top-flight Shiraz producer in the country than the Hilltops Shiraz from Clonakilla.
The 2016 release is another ripper. A selection of premium vineyards across the region contributing to the wine, it shows all the finesse of premium cool-climate Shiraz/Syrah without the hefty pricetag.
94 points from James Halliday and 93 points from Campbell Mattinson, at under $30 this is a no-brainer. If you want Clonakilla in your cellar but aren't regularly quaffing $90+ wines, then the Hilltops is a wine with great pedigree that can be consumed now or in 10 years time.
About Clonakilla
Clonakilla is one of the true icons of the Australian wine scene. Since its inception, it has been one of (if not THE) leading lights of the Australian cool climate wine insurgence. They boast one of the most collectable wines in the country with their Shiraz Viognier and whether Shiraz, Riesling or otherwise, are considered the benchmark for all things Canberra. Quite simply, one of the true gems in the Australian Wine Industry crown.
About Canberra
Canberra is a sleeping giant of Australian wine. The ability of this region to produce world class wines in only a relatively short history is almost second to none in the whole country. With the ability to produce everything from perfumed and tightly wound Syrah, to razor sharp Riesling and a wide array of emerging varieties and techniques, Canberra will be one of the ‘must watch’ wine producing regions in Australia for many years to come.
Canberra, NSW
From the Producer
This Shiraz is made from grapes selected from five vineyards in the Hilltops district around Young on the South Western Slopes of New South Wales. The 2016 vintage continues a run of warm vintages for the Hilltops region. The vineyards appear to take the heat in their stride however. The vines responded by producing rich black Shiraz with great depth of flavour. Drink now or cellar with confidence. This wine may surprise and delight you with five to ten years in the bottle.
Blend : Shiraz (100%)
ABV : 14%
Closure : Screw Cap
Drink Until : 2024
Bottle Size : 750ml
Clonakilla Cellar Door, Canberra, NSW
Critic Reviews
"The usual (if that be the right word) Clonakilla signature of perfectly balanced fruit, tannins and oak, always complex yet always with great mouthfeel, black fruits to the fore, with a gentle sprinkle of spice and pepper." - James Halliday (Australian Wine Companion)
"Strings of tannin, herb notes, juicy stone fruit characters and assorted spices/peppers are all attractive in themselves, but aren’t yet pulling properly together. They will do. Indeed if anything this release is more complex than usual; more Clonakilla in a way. The fruit comes across as fresh, the cherried characters at the blacker end of the spectrum, the tannin fine and a little chalky. It’s going to turn out very well. Even another 12 months in bottle will do it a lot of good." - Campbell Mattinson (The Wine Front)
Delivery is Free for any order over $149 or more, or just $10 for any orders of $149 or less. There is no minimum order quantity and you can mix and match as much as you like. Make your perfect mixed pack!
Sydney Metro orders will be delivered the next day 5 days per week, Monday through Friday. We can guarantee delivery before Christmas as long as you get your order in by midnight 23rd of December. Please refer to this map to see if your address is considered Sydney Metro here.
Melbourne Metro orders are picked up from our Sydney warehouse every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and delivered the following day in Melbourne (Tues/Wed/Fri). We can guarantee delivery before Christmas as long as you get your order in by 10am 22nd of December. Please refer to this map to see if your address is considered Melbourne Metro here.
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Australia Wide Deliveries outside of Sydney and Melbourne metro are all delivered with Australia Post's eParcel wine delivery service. They pick up from us at 12pm Monday through Friday. When your order has been dispatched you'll receive tracking information to your email. Unfortunately with the complications of Covid and expected Christmas surge Australia Post are being extremely vague about delivery times. You will need to have your order placed before midnight 10th of December if you want to ensure it’s there for Christmas.
Authority to Leave and other delivery instructions can be left in the ‘SPECIAL REQUESTS’ box during checkout. The 'SPECIAL REQUESTS' box can be found on the here page before the final checkout page.
Warehouse Pickup is available at our Sydney warehouse at 3 Fig, Ultimo, 2007. You are not able to browse our warehouse shelves and we are not licenced to sell over the counter, so please place your order online or over the phone before arriving. Feel free to call on arrival on 1300 668 385 and we can bring your order out to your vehicle.
Express Same Day Delivery is available for Sydney postcodes within 10km of the CBD. There is a $10 delivery surcharge and the order needs to be placed before 12pm midday.
Our Heat Policy can be viewed here. If you would like us to hold dispatch of your order for milder weather please leave instructions to do so in the 'SPECIAL REQUESTS' box found on the cart page before the final checkout. We are happy to hold it for as long as you like. All orders are fully insured so you can buy with full confidence that these tasty beverages will get to you in tip-top shape.
Returns are free for 100 days after purchase. You can view the conditions of our return policy here
For any other shipping related inquiries, please see our helpful FAQ, email us at hello@differentdrop.com or call us on 1300 668 385..
Do I have to order in dozens? No, please mix it up! You can order wines in any quantity and variation you like. You can order 1 bottle or 50. We challenge you to make the ultimate mixed pack of wine!
Are there volume discounts? No, our pricing is designed to be the best in market already - no marking up and then discounting down! For very large orders (weddings, etc) we are open to negotiating though. Just give us a call.
Do we price match? Yes, within reason. Everyday low & consistent pricing is something we strongly believe in. We want our customers to feel confident they are always getting the best price. If you see a price lower somewhere else let us know and we'll consider matching it. We'll even retrospectively issue you store credit if you have already purchased from us but you see a lower price somewhere later on. Our price match policy can be seen here.
Can coupons and discounts be stacked? No, only one discount or coupon can be applied to an order at once.
I am trying to add more of a wine to my cart but it won’t let me? This means we are running low on stock of that wine. So for example, if the website will only allow you to add 3 bottles and no more, then that is all we have of that particular wine. The good news is we may be able to order more for you. Just contact us on 1300 668 385 or hello@differentdrop.com and we'll organise the additional quantity for you.
Does Different Drop have a physical store? No. More of a warehouse/office. We do however offer a Click & Collect option from our warehouse in Ultimo, Sydney. Our warehouse address for Click & Collect is: 3 Fig St, Ultimo, 2007/ Please make sure you have placed your order before arriving at the warehouse
Can I special order a wine you do not sell? If it’s doable, then we’ll make it happen. Just contact us directly via phone, chat or email and we’ll find out for you right away. Please note that in most cases special orders such as these will need to be in full case lots (6 or 12 bottles).
More FaQs: here
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