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Swinney Syrah 2023

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Swinney Syrah 2023
Producer Swinney
Region, Country Frankland River, Australia
Bottle Size 750ml
Case Size 6
Product Code 23785-750

Swinney’s benchmark Syrah is hand-harvested from select parcels in the Wilsons Pool and Powderbark vineyards. Unlike the Grenache and Mourvèdre, the Syrah is trellised—although there are plans afoot for some single-stake Syrah. The sites are planted to various clones, including 470, Waldron and Jack Mann’s heritage mass-selection Syrah. Each clone gives a different bunch structure. Combined with the estate’s use of shade cloth to shield the fruit from the harsh afternoon rays, this helps build layers of structural complexity in the final wine. The cloth also creates soft, mottled light, lowers the temperature in the bunch zone and preserves freshness, spice and typicity (varietal and regional) in the fruit.

The berries were sorted into small wooden and stainless-steel fermenters via gravity. A well-integrated 22% bunch component was included to build structure and texture, providing a robust frame for the lustrous fruit. The 2023 spent 12 days on skins before being pressed directly to 600-litre fine-grained demi-muids (7% new) for 11 months. Purple flowers and ripe forest fruits are underlaid with black olive, hung meat and graphite. The palate is peppery, bloody and juicy, with a sense of coiled power. It maintains terrific tension with assertive, minerally tannins and plenty held in reserve.

Swinney Syrah 2023

Reviews

“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.”
96 points, Ray Jordan, rayjordanwine.com.au
“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
“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, Mike Bennie, The Wine Companion
“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, Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate

Reviews

“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.”
96 points, Ray Jordan, rayjordanwine.com.au
“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
“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, Mike Bennie, The Wine Companion
“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, Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate

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