YARRA VALLEY SINGLE VINEYARD SECTION A8 SYRAH

Medium dark red with purple. Perfumed, alluring, spice and violets. Flavours of dark fruits and graphite, graceful, textural and stony with fine tannin.

REGION

Yarra Valley

VINEYARD

Section A8 Syrah was planted in 1971. It is a north east facing vineyard which is ideal for modern balanced Syrah. The soil is sedimentary and very high in iron which may explain some of the graphite characters that we often see in this wine.

SEASON

2018 is one of the finest vintages of Syrah seen in recent years Warm growing season, even ripening, excellent tannin development.

WINEMAKING

Fruit is hand harvested and hand sorted. An average of 50% whole bunches included in the ferments. Left to ferment naturally with ambient yeast. Some foot plunging at the beginning followed by turnovers and pigeage at the end of the fermentation. Pressed, settled overnight and filled to barrel via gravity. Allowed to mature for 10 months at 16°C in 500L French oak casks. Regular racking to give some air.

CELLARING

This wine will continue to develop beautifully over the next 10 years if stored in a cool dark place.

ADDITONAL INFORMATION

Vegan, Vegetarian

FOOD RECOMMENDATION

Two suggestions : Lamb Shawarma or brined & chargrilled eggplant

REVIEWS

Deep colour and an impressively aromatic bouquet. Already complex with pepper, plum, musky spice and forest foliage scents of delicious, savoury appeal and distinctive personality, it’s medium-bodied with good depth of plump, concentrated juicy flavour, seamless, fine mouthfeel, layered ripe tannins in excellent balance, and lingering fragrant finish. Delicious Syrah or Shiraz. 96/100.

The Real Review August 2020

This vineyard was planted in ‘71 in the earliest days of the revival of the Yarra Valley. The bouquet has some fine French oak on parade, but the fruit easily accommodates it. A stylish wine of high quality, with a long future for those with patience. 97/100

Halliday Wine Companion 2021 August 2020

Medium to deep red colour with tints of brick and just a light touch of purple. The bouquet tallies, with a lot of whole-bunch nuances, forest-floor and humus. Earthy root vegetables, too. The wine is full-bodied and fleshy, with lovely extract contributing to its texture, finishing long and resonant. There's a lot of detail here: a multitude of spices, some sooty, graphite notes and abundant soft but drying tannins. Lovely wine - a wine I want to drink. 95/100

The Real Review May 2020

The A8 section was planted in ‘71, making it one of the oldest vineyards in the Yarra Valley. Deeply coloured, the wine is intensely flavoured, with a drum roll of black fruits the moment it enters the mouth. The tannin structure is perfect, a guarantee of the long future of this distinguished wine. 96/100

Halliday Wine Companion 2020 August 2019