2021 Grampians Syrah

2021 GRAMPIANS SYRAH

In 2021 I named it “More, More, More” as the second covid year for me was one of unprecedented feelings and tension and just being flat-out crazy busy with work and trying to home-school children at the same time. Emotions ran high and ran raw. 

The wine is, as usual, a blend of a couple of different sites south of Great Western – notably Westgate Vineyard (82% - 52 year old vines, harvested April 7th) and Moyston Hills Vineyard (18% - 15 year old vines, harvested April 12th). All fermented separately using indigenous yeasts, some ferments whole bunch, some destemmed for a final whole bunch of around 40%. The ferments are typically pressed at around 18-21 days and matured in older French puncheons and barriques. We included a small percentage of new oak as well (12%) from Chassin cooperage. The wine was matured in barrel for 11 months, bottled just before the following harvest without fining or filtration, as is usually our way.

2021 was a late, cool vintage where we had to wait nervously for grapes to attain flavour, and we were rewarded handsomely with above average crops that were perfectly ripened. Cool acidity, dark, mineral fruits and epic regional pepper show a classic vintage, somewhere similar to 2017 but with better intensity and more pepper. One of my favourites