This excellent syrah includes the newly introduced clones 470 and 171, which contribute to a new level of complexity. It’s been made with a light winemaker’s touch and only a tiny amount of new French oak to spice things up. There is structure here diving deep into the medium bodied highly perfumed and supple fruit characters. Spices and a little of the ferrous personality adds to the complexity. Brilliant and bright with such a vibrant palate profile.
95 POINTS
Erin Larkin - Robert Parker Wine Advocate
The 2023 Syrah is so typical of the season in which it was grown: vibrant, poised, detailed, fresh and tightly coiled. This is sensational, although admittedly quite closed at this early stage. A blend of clones 171 and 470, this has lashings of red berries, sweet paprika, pink peppercorns, salted licorice, blackberries and black cherries. It's a beauty, mineral and fresh. The tannins are superb. It was made with 22% whole bunches, fermented with wild yeast and spent 12 days on the skins prior to fine-grained, large-format French oak (7% new). 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.
95 POINTS
Aaron Brasher - The Real Review
“Deep, dark, inky and opaque in the glass. Heady aromas of mulberry, blueberry, graphite, ferrous earth, Asian spice, nutty oak and bramble. Full bodied, plush and opulent in flavour. There’s lashings of blue and dark fruits, along with sweet oak, iodine, charred meats, pepper and spice. The tannins are firm and structured and the acidity delivers a decent amount of ping and zip. Fabulous concentration and balance.” 95 points, Aaron Brasher, The Real Review
94 POINTS
Mike Bennie - Halliday Wine Companion
An outstanding wine that does its 'syrah' naming well – sleek and lively, heady in perfume, deeply imbued with peppery, woody spices, dark fruited yet lithe. Tannins ripple through the wine with tension and authority, a swish of crushed rock minerality in tow. The succulence lifts the wine, finds a higher plane of refreshment factor. You add this up and it's a wine of poise and beauty, and glorious in its drinkability, too.
94 POINTS
Ken Gargett - Winepilot
A superb Syrah (Shiraz) from Frankland River, which includes newly introduced clones, 470 and 171. The fruit comes from their Wilson’s Pool and Powderbark vineyards. 22% whole bunches, wild fermentation, twelve days on skins before eleven months in large format oak, 7% new. Deep maroon in colour, the nose offers an array of flavours, weaving amongst notes of mulberries, chocolate, dried herbs, tobacco leaves, dusty roads, plums and a hint of aniseed. Well balanced, this is a wine of medium length, sleek tannins, good focus and much appeal. A ten year proposition.
94 POINTS
Campbell Mattinson - The Wine Front
Given that this wine has a power of berried fruit flavour it’s quite something that it is, simultaneously, defined by its elegance, and by its finesse. It tastes of peppercorns, black cherries, maybe some plums, and definitely rounds of florals, twiggy spices, redcurrant and cloves. It feels velvety but the fruit makes an impression, as does the dry rake of its tannin. And yet throughout the wine just seems to keep its head above water. It never becomes sluggish; it remains high toned and buoyant. It’s light, structural and intense at once. In short, it’s impressive.
92 POINTS
Angus Hughson - Vinous
The 2023 Syrah Frankland River shows a pronounced whole-bunch character, with layers of meaty aromas and a distinct line of fennel seed underscored by dark cherry. Dense, particulate tannins support a strong core of dark berry flavor, building to an attractive finish marked by spice and granitic complexity.
