95 points - Outstanding "A powerful bouquet driven by aromas of spices and dark red fleshed fruits, seasoned red meats and there’s layers of barrel and smoke, wood spices and pressed violets. Complex and youthful. Equally powerful on the palate with a firm taut texture from tannins and back bone of acidity; tempering and contrasting core fruit flavours of dark berries and spiced meats layer in complexity and mouthfeel. This wine needs more time, it is delicious already, dry and lengthy. Best drinking from very late 2023 through 2033." Cameron Douglas MS .
Winemaker's Notes:
In the true expression of cool-climate Syrah, this wine exudes freshly cracked black pepper, crushed violets, red and black forest fruits and savoury smoky nuances. It has crunchy lifted acidity which carries the defined, fine-grain tannins and background of spicy, savoury oak.
This wine is about fragrance and texture, and this 2019 vintage has a slight departure from previous years in that it's a pure expression of Syrah as we did not co-ferment with Gruner Veltliner (try it with our 2018 side-by-side to see if you can spot a difference!). It still has a high proportion of whole-clusters in the fermentation to bring aromatic lift, complexity and structure. The 2019 vintage was exceptional in the Bay with incredible density of flavour as well as a resounding freshness. Ultimately this Syrah demonstrates the phenomenal potential Gimblett Gravels has for producing cool-climate Syrah and we are thrilled with the stylistic consistency this special single vineyard is delivering. Enjoy now, or bury it deep in the cellar to allow the beguiling tertiary characters of Syrah to develop.
