Clarendon Hills, Hickinbotham Grenache, South Australia

Clarendon Hills · South Australia › Australia

Red · Grenache
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LWIN 1001604
Critics Average score from professional wine critics and publications.
92 /100
Reviews
24
professional

Vintages

No vintages

No vintage-specific entries have been added for this wine.

NV

Community Reviews

24
24
Reviews
91.5
Avg Score
96
Highest
Taster #7229 · May 11, 2025
95/100
No decant- drunk from large glasses for better aeration. This bottle was very sound, aging slowly in a good cellar. Bright & dark to the rim, with little to no bricking. Densely fruitful Rhone styled wine in perfect balance but somewhat fresher nose than earthy CdPs. Drunk between Bdx/Rioja flights with vichyssoise having lobster, red crab & shrimp. (We lacked a proper chardonnay). Surprisingly... this fruitful Grenache paired reasonably well.
2005 vintage
Taster #4628 · May 8, 2021
87/100
Deep purple coloring with pronounced browning on the edges. Nose of blackberries, black plums, blueberries, and caramelized sugar. Tastes of tart black fruits and kirsch. Medium finish with very light tannins. Fruit still very present. Starting to tire in my opinion though. Drink now if you still have some in your cellar.
2005 vintage
Taster #9151 · Jun 10, 2018
91/100
Still very much alive and with in tact components- PnP at cellar temp. There’s a not so subtle animal scent that fades with a bit of air, leaving a heavy soy/A1 sauce note that even suggests miso. More soy and blackberry across a beautifully textured midpalate and lands with a medium length balsamic finish. Likable on its own or try with Asian food. I’m not long on it though
2005 vintage
Taster #5018 · Nov 6, 2017
92/100
Hits you a wallop of plum and blackberry on the nose and palate. Dark chocolate emerges, resolving to some austere savory notes on the finish. Rich, opulent wine that rescued my taste buds from the horribly over-cooked NY strip loin that accompanied it.
2005 vintage
Taster #3236 · Apr 23, 2016
92/100
Rich nose. Smooth, fruity palate. Delicious. Potentially at peak.
2005 vintage
Taster #0918 · Sep 26, 2015
94/100
This is a great wine from a great vintage with so much power moving forward. At ten years it is probably going to improve over the next 5-8 years and level out for another 5-10 after that.
2005 vintage
Taster #9986 · Oct 30, 2014
94/100
Tied with the Glaetzers 2004 for WOTN this baby was firing on all cylinders...
2005 vintage
Taster #6594 · May 12, 2014
90/100
rich, dense nose - coffee, chocolate and dark fruits leading to a dense taste, full of ripe fruit and flavour. tannins are soft - barely discernable. very aussie style i.e. high alcohol content (14.5%)but quite well put together - one does not feel the alcohol due to the powerful fruit. This wine threatens to cross the line into the realm of jamminess, but succeeds in not doing so. a good wine, both in terms of value and in absolute terms, …
2005 vintage
Taster #5089 · Oct 4, 2013
92/100
I opened this after our 10/4/13 Sherry tasting. It had a rich, ripe and expressive bouquet of cherry, raspberry, cola, sage, anise and spice aromas. The palate was rich, ripe and a little jammy with flavors of cherry, raspberry, cola, licorice and spice.
2005 vintage
Taster #7013 · Sep 18, 2013
90/100
Very heavy bodied and dense Grenache. Too jammy for me but should hold its own against spicy chicken or BBQ meats.
2005 vintage
Taster #4908 · Sep 16, 2013
88/100
- Crimsom color with slow forming legs and aromas of raspberry, strawberry, cedar and alcohol. It's somewhat balanced and has flavours of strawberry jam with a full body. Juicy texture with a long finish - For new world Grenache, this wine hits the points that you want. Full of opulent, almost jammy red fruit but shows some minerality, medium acidity, and some heat. Ripe fruit on the attack with softened tannins and good length on the finish. Honestly, I don't …
2005 vintage
Taster #9123 · Sep 8, 2013
92/100
Wonderful Grenach which constantly kept being interesting as an after dinner glass of wine. Also a very good value wine.
2005 vintage
Taster #6285 · Sep 1, 2013
90/100
A bit sweet and jammy, but not heavy... an interesting and very tasty wine.
2005 vintage
Taster #9925 · Jun 26, 2013
89/100
Opened bottle, decanted a glass through the vinturi. Left the bottle open for a couple hours. In the glass: Deep garnet, pigmented, good long legs. On the nose: At first kinda tight not revealing much, after an hour or so it opened up some. Hot red fruit, blueberry, oak, chocolate, spice, whiff of salami (I know, weird). In the mouth: Medium mouth feel, good concentration, some heat pokes through, good finish. It gets much better with air! Decanting is a …
2005 vintage
Taster #7646 · Apr 14, 2013
92/100
Interesting CT user tasting notes - lots of different flavors & aromas, and very different assessments of tannin level. Here's my two cents: Color is fading some, befitting its age. I get raspberry, blackberry, vanilla, meat aromas. On the palate, lots of blackberry, cherry and plum. The plum flavor almost makes it taste like a port without the sweetness. A little pepper and earthiness also. Very nice balance of fruit, acidity and tannins. Loved it!
2005 vintage
Taster #9986 · Mar 12, 2013
94/100
Wine of the night at the WFFT auction meeting, strong berry nose with hints or tar and leather. The palate was an amazing mix of blueberry pie and grilled meat savory notes. Solid acidity, no tannins to speak of and a long, sweet finish.
2005 vintage
Taster #7018 · Jan 10, 2013
90/100
Needs about 90-120 minutes to open up.
2005 vintage
Taster #9939 · Dec 28, 2012
90/100
Note: the score is for the Hickinbotham but the write up is for both Blewitt Springs and Hickinbotham. We drank both to compare the two. Blewitt Springs: the better of the two. Nose: vanilla, chocolate, artificial cherry Palate: sweeter than the Hickinbotham. A bit of cough syrup taste. Lush, velvety, and fruity. More balanced than Hinkinbotham. Smooth palate. Tannins at the end. Hickinbotham: we liked Blewitt Springs better. Nose: chocolate, artificial cherry. Palate: more acid, softer at front, rougher tannins …
2005 vintage
Taster #9182 · Oct 11, 2012
90/100
Interesting nose of bright red fruit, lilac, and shoe leather. In the mouth it has tart cherries and lavender with very silky tannins. Finishes surprisingly long. Remember you don't drink the label.
2005 vintage
Taster #9986 · Mar 5, 2012
93/100
no detailed notes, but big berry and plum flavors, lively and large.
2005 vintage
Taster #5612 · Mar 1, 2012
96/100
Lovely grenache loaded with sexiness and exquisite flavor. After having this bottle I gifted the other one to a dear friend. Bought more Clarendon Hills today...and would buy the Hickenbothem again. Enjoy!
2005 vintage
Taster #0527 · Feb 25, 2012
94/100
Fantastic as always
2005 vintage
Taster #6611 · Aug 20, 2011
92/100
Garnet colored wine. Great nose of jammed red berries (cherries and raspberries). Flavors of big red berries intermixed with chocolate and plum with a hint of spice on the backend. Medium acidity backed up by firm tannins. Still a big wine, but very drinkable at this point. Drink or hold for a few more years.
2005 vintage
Taster #5307 · Oct 9, 2009
90/100
Scent of 'kirsch', raspberry jam, cherry jam almost solvent. Full-bodied, red fruit, medium to moderate acidity and a hint of tannins. Very potent and moth-filling. Feels like high-alcohol, though they claim 14,5% only. The body is there though to carry it. Drink now, it doesn't have the acidity and tannins to develop any further.
2005 vintage