“Shines with near-perfect fruit intensity.” - The Australian Wine Companion, 95 points

“Delicious detail and depth on the palate.” - JancisRobinson.com, 17+ points

“A thrilling wine.”– Decanter, 97 points (previous vintage)

To paraphrase T.S. Eliot, I have measured out my life with wine spittoons. It feels that way sometimes, especially after a sequence of long tastings that yield nothing new or exciting, just a reminder to book a check-up at the dentist. It can be quite deflating (although, I learned long ago not to seek sympathy for “drinking wine for a living!”). The thing that always keeps your spirits up, however, is the occasional triumph, and we found this nugget of gold gleaming in the rockface at a recent trade event, where some of the UK’s top sommeliers had been invited to show the one Australian wine on their list that excited them the most and this Syrah had been selected by Elisa Marchini, head sommelier at ‘Muse’ by Tom Aikens. It was simply sensational.

It tastes like Penfolds ‘Grange’. That’s the simplest way I can describe it. I’ve been lucky enough to taste ‘Grange’ a few times and had the opportunity to learn some of the secrets behind the magician’s curtain from its former winemaker, John Duval (they ferment in open-top barriques, but shhh… don’t tell anyone). This wine shares all the intricate flavour and aroma detail that can be teased out of premium Syrah fruit (very similar in its aromatic exuberance to the Yarra Yering ‘Underhill’ Shiraz in that respect), but with ‘Grange’, in particular, it shares a mysterious and delicious concentrated core of something incarnadine, which I can only think to describe as molten rubies, outward from which all the other layers of flavour radiate. It’s quite magical, a kind of alchemy of some kind, as if it’s an emergent property of the thing itself that can’t be explained in molecular terms, like consciousness or Donald Trump’s hair.

Given that ‘Grange’ is way beyond the reach of almost all pockets, I think this is a fantastic value doppelgänger at one tenth the price (Grange 2018 currently goes for £380.00 per bottle). Winemaker, Jayden Ong, sources fruit from the highest vineyard in the Yarra Valley, which he converted to organics back in 2016 with the help of the brilliant Timo Mayer, and that altitude, I suspect, is what brings the aromatic exuberance to this very fine wine.

On the palate, the fruit feels radiant, as if glowing from within, and is sweetly opulent in the manner of the very best Syrah, with a faint line of blackcurrant pastilles running through its core, yet fermented dry and all contained within a miraculous (for Australia) 13.5% degrees alcohol and, at 8 years old, it “wears its age very lightly indeed”, to borrow from Jancis Robinson. It is bottled unfined and unfiltered, so it may throw a little sediment, so pour the last few drops carefully or decant it. It is made from 100% hand-picked Syrah; 40% whole-cluster, 40 days maceration; 14 months in seasoned and new (30%) puncheons. Drink now-2032.

Press reviews:

The Australian Wine Companion: “A proponent of minimal intervention, winemaker Jayden Ong has fashioned a voluptuous, no-frills winemaking kind of Syrah that shines with near-perfect fruit intensity. Laden with ripe tannins and fine-trimmed oak, the dense, black, high-spiced fruit is allowed the freedom to express itself beautifully.” 95 points

JancisRobinson.com: “This makes an immediately deeper impression than the One Block Syrah. Though it is still very much in the cool-climate mould with those first-pick blackberries and a touch of raspberry compote. There’s a savoury minerality and the start of tapenade touches. Delicious detail and depth on the palate. Lithe tannins. Spicy, fresh, multi-layered finish. Quite ‘Old World’ style, if it weren't for that sweet, fleshy fruit at the core. Wears its age very lightly indeed – bodes well for the future.” 17+ points

Decanter World Wine Awards (previous vintage): “A thrilling wine with lots of personality. It's blue-fruit driven with abundant notes of blueberry, blue plum and sweet spices. The palate is full-bodied and fruit forward with firm tannins and a long, chalky finish. Great development potential.” 97 points

LOW STOCK