2016 Lismore Syrah

Made with 40% whole cluster, the 2016 Syrah opens with a beautiful floral and red fruit expression of Syrah, with dark cherry skin, ripe and juicy plum, pomegranate, soft potpourri spices, subtle oak tones and nuances of red spiced tea and peppercorn. Subtly savory with energetic acidity, the medium-bodied wine expresses elegance with tart, lively red fruit and spices that sway across the mid-palate with a vibrant and food-friendly sensation. It ends with flavors of lavender, redcurrants and dark cherry skin on the long, lingering finish—marking another stellar bottling from Samantha O'Keefe.

Elgin and Greyton. Dry farmed, indigenous yeasts. 40% whole bunch, only older oak. Mid cherry red. Sweet dark fruit, peppery. Fruit spice and more red fruited on the palate, quite an unusual style of Syrah. Sweet/sour on the finish. (JH)

The 2016 Syrah, half each from Elgin and Greyton, includes 40% whole cluster fruit and was matured in 50% new oak. It has a perfumed bouquet of mulberry, blueberry and crushed iris aromas, quite Côte-Rôtie in style and certainly very well defined. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannin and good grip in the mouth, and quite saline in style (especially in the second half), with just a hint of Japanese nori infiltrating the red fruit toward the finish. This is very refined and feels very persistent in the mouth, although it clearly needs a couple of years in bottle. Excellent.