The Clonakilla O'Riada Shiraz 2024 is from the Canberra District in Australia, made by Tim Kirk. It has red cherry, raspberry and plum flavours with baking spice, florals and fine, silty tannins. It was rated 95 POINTS by Halliday Wine Companion's Jane Faulkner, and it is fantastic drinking with lamb, steak and roast pork.
In the glass expect aromas of red cherry, raspberry and plum first, with florals, baking spices and black pepper following. The generous palate is medium in weight, with fine tannins and enough acidity to keep it fresh.
This is a special weekend wine, best enjoyed with a roast or a steak from the grill. It is a fragrant, cool-climate style of Shiraz, and a very good place to start experiencing the Clonakilla range, the first commercial winery in the Canberra region.
The 2024 is made from Clonakilla's own vineyard at Murrumbateman plus fruit from three other Canberra District vineyards.
What it tastes like
This wine has a purple-red colour and a fragrant nose. The aromas on the nose are floral, with red berries, baking spices and black pepper.
The palate delivers raspberry, red cherry and currant flavours, with a medium weight and silky tannins (very fine and soft). The acidity gives it life, and the spice carries through to the finish. It's delicious.
Style at a glance
- Body: Medium
- Sweetness: Dry
- Acidity: Fresh
- Tannin: Fine and silty
- Oak: French oak for 12 months, 25% new, which adds a little spice
- Style: Spiced, fragrant Canberra Shiraz
Food to enjoy this with
- Grilled New York strip steak
- Roast lamb with rosemary and garlic
- Beef Wellington
- Roast pork with crackling
- Mushroom risotto
- Five-spice duck, where the wine's own spice and anise notes line up with the dish
Who makes it
Dr John Kirk started Clonakilla in 1971 on a farm near Murrumbateman, about 40km north of Canberra, and named it after his grandfather's farm in County Clare, Ireland. Clonakilla was the first commercial winery in the Canberra region.
John's son Tim Kirk makes the wines, and in 1992 he created the estate's Shiraz Viognier, which reached "Exceptional" status in the Langton's Classification in 2010.
The estate vineyard is planted on reddish parna soil (windblown clay-rich soil) over yellow clays. The O'Riada is named after the Irish composer Seán Ó Riada. 20% of the fruit goes into the ferment as whole bunches, the wine spends up to 3 weeks on skins, and it is aged for 12 months in French oak.
About the 2024 vintage
Clonakilla describes 2024 as good spring rain, warm summer days, cool nights and a glorious early autumn. Clonakilla also describes the vintage as low yielding and beautifully warm.
Halliday Wine Companion's 2024 New South Wales vintage report names shiraz among the Canberra District's standouts, with carefully tended vineyards harvesting low quantities of high-quality grapes.
Critic scores and ratings
- 95 POINTS – Jane Faulkner – Halliday Wine Companion, August 2025
- 95 POINTS – Campbell Mattinson – The Wine Front, August 2025
When to drink it
This wine is ready to drink now. Jane Faulkner suggests drinking it from 2025 to 2034.
Technical details
| Producer: |
Clonakilla |
| Wine: |
O'Riada Shiraz |
| Vintage: |
2024 |
| Variety: |
100% Shiraz |
| Region: |
Canberra District, New South Wales |
| Country: |
Australia |
| Alcohol: |
14% |
| Oak: |
French oak for 12 months, 25% new |
| Fermentation: |
20% whole bunches, up to 3 weeks on skins |
| Cellaring: |
Drink now and through to 2034 |
Where to buy
The Clonakilla O'Riada Shiraz 2024 is available online at thewineryonline.co.nz for delivery within New Zealand. You can also buy it at our Queenstown and Arrowtown wine stores, alongside a large range of New Zealand and international wine. Online and in both stores you can build a mixed case from a large range of wines.
Questions we are often asked
What does Clonakilla O'Riada Shiraz 2024 taste like?
The 2024 shows red cherry, raspberry and plum, with florals, baking spices and black pepper. It is medium in weight, with fine tannins and fresh acidity.
What is Clonakilla O'Riada Shiraz made from?
It is 100% Shiraz, from Clonakilla's Murrumbateman vineyard and three other Canberra District vineyards. It is aged for 12 months in French oak, 25% of it new.
How long can Clonakilla O'Riada Shiraz 2024 be cellared?
It is ready to drink now, and Halliday Wine Companion's Jane Faulkner suggests drinking it through to 2034.
What did the critics score Clonakilla O'Riada Shiraz 2024?
Jane Faulkner of Halliday Wine Companion and Campbell Mattinson of The Wine Front each rated it 95 POINTS, both in August 2025.
What food goes with Clonakilla O'Riada Shiraz?
Grilled steak, beef Wellington, roast lamb and roast pork all suit it, and so does five-spice duck.
Where can I buy Clonakilla O'Riada Shiraz 2024?
The Winery sells Clonakilla O'Riada Shiraz 2024 online at thewineryonline.co.nz for delivery within New Zealand. You can also buy it in our Queenstown and Arrowtown wine stores.
