2023 Grampians Syrah

2023 The Story Grampians Syrah

The ‘Grampians’ was our first wine, the bedrock of our brand, and the wine that everything else pivots around. 2023 was an ultra cool late and classic ‘Syrah’ year, with harvest dates pushing into late April and the last Syrah coming off on Anzac Day. Very low yields were a blessing getting everything across the line with requisite sugar and flavour. The Syrah vineyards yielded only around 1 tonnes per acre, and as a result the structures are tight, but very bright with ample natural acidity and remarkable rotundone. The “Grampians” this year is predominantly (60%) Westgate Vineyard from 54yr old vines in the hills just south of Great Western and 40% Moyston Hills Vineyard from 24yr old vines much further south at Moyston. All natural ferments, some destemmed and some not (around 25% WB on average, which is a little less than usual due to the abundant natural spicy flavours of the year) matured in a combination of old puncheons and barrique and with around 10% new oak, Chassin cooperage.

The story of 2023, harks back to our 2009 ‘Associates’ label – we were inbetween our old winery space and our new one in Moorabbin, which we couldn’t get set up in time for vintage so once again called on our mates at Crittenden estate to bunk in with them for a year. A lot more kms were travelled going to and from the Mornington peninsula every day, but the camaraderie more than offset it. The year was a challenge, but the wines sing from the cool year. This is a favourite which will unfurl very slowly and drink superbly in the years to come.