"One of Australia’s finest versions of the variety born of excellent farming and a unique place. Quite the vision to jam the variety in the ground in the somewhat unlikely place of Great Southern, but hey, there you go.

It takes on earthy, savouriness with aplomb, amongst that sour plum, black cherry juice, blood orange and iodine/graphite mineral qualities. Tannins start soft and build to an authority, a trim, succulent, medium weight wine in total cruise control with all elements balanced and a general sense of deliciousness in tow. That texture is superb. Moreish, gulpable but serious red wine. It’s fragrant, flavoursome, complex, interesting and down right awesome to sip on. You feel the goodness at hello. An inkier expression but righteous." 95 pts

Mike Bennie, www.winefront.com.au, August 21

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"From the fantastically farmed Swinney vineyard, syrah goes to older (mostly) larger format oak. Swinney for the winney.

Quite inky and dense, inward concentration in spades, blackcurrants, boot polish, charry woody spice, silty tannins and saline minerally detail going on. Firm texture in a way but lots of bouncy, bright fruit in that mix – tannins ripple glossy yet taut in the wine. Fresh but deep, dark, brooding too. Black olive, green herbs, the idea of how red earth tastes in this wine too. Serious red, seriously good." 94 pts

Mike Bennie, www.thewinefront.com.au, August 21

The 2020 Swinney Syrah is sold out - to be notified of the release of the 2021 vintage (scheduled for September 2022), please join the mailing list at the bottom of this page or send us an email at swinney@swinney.com.au.

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NEW RELEASE

Ray Jordan, www.winepilot.com, March 2022
"This is a Syrah that will make the wine world sit-up and think what is possible for this variety in Frankland River. In fact, it is one of a number from several producers showing a new direction and exploration for Syrah from this region. The typical Australian model for Shiraz has been tossed out here. It has an incredibly deep and dense colour, and once again that regional ironstone, ferruginous character comes through. There’s an inky pepperiness with a subtle liqueured prune character and dark chocolate notes, albeit slightly understated. The texture and brightness of the palate is a feature. It is also a wine that is unafraid to show its tannins. Winemaker Rob Mann says it is inspired a lot by what is drunk in Europe. He has adopted a similar oak regime to the Grenache and makes it in a reductive way so there is no pumping over. The whole bunches and berries go into upright older oak vats where it is left achieving a slightly carbonic style. Of course, all this is possible because of the fastidious approach adopted by owner Matt Swinney in the vineyard where the search is for the best bunches on the vines. It’s an obsessive and uncompromising approach which yields just 3 tonnes to the hectare. A wine that redefines Syrah in much the same way the Grenache has redefined that variety." 98/100

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