2024 Swinney 'Farvie' Syrah
Ken Gargett, winepilot.com
“In 2024, Farvie Syrah is The Guardsman. I was half expecting this majestic Syrah to parade precocity and openness, given the welcome afforded by the other two wines, but not a bit of it. Farvie Syrah has stuck religiously to the handbook, and it offers up a ramrod spine set about with perfectly pressed fruit, starched tannic lines and a gleamingly keen mineral pedestal on which it stands stock still. I love the part-brutal, part-brittle anti-fruit detail here, which keeps the plush red and black berry eagerness under control. The spiciness is teasing and raking, but never overbearing, and only when the finish looms you sense a creeping presence of malevolence, which is always welcome in this wine. This is a statuesque Syrah, and it possesses remarkable grip and intensity given its reasonable alcohol level.” 19+/20
Ray Jordan, rayjordanwine.com.au
“This is big, deep, and dark with stacks of rich, opulent dark fruit characters. It’s a mix of 100% whole bunch from one block and 50% from another, contributing to its brightness and intensity. The combination of different blocks adds to its deep complexity, with the dark spicy fruit of one block and the blue fruit perfumes of the other. Delve deeper, and then an earthy gamey nori-like character starts spiralling out. There’s plenty of plummy palate coating fruit, which continues to its palate feel and rich opulence. Seamlessly structured with firm tannins and that understated integrated oak working seamlessly within the core of concentrated fruit.” 97/100
Ken Gargett, winepilot.com
"Syrah, or Shiraz, from the Frankland River region has certainly established itself has one of the most exciting styles of the grape in the country. This release is from the Powderbark Vineyard (66%) and Wilson’s Pool (34%). The fruit is hand-picked and fed to a French oak vat, and two demi-muids. The team use 67% whole bunches in the ferment. The wine spends ten days on skins and eleven months maturing in large format, older French oak. The colour is a vibrant purple magenta. On the nose we have notes of leather and truffles, animal hides, charcuterie, black fruits, beef stock, soy, hints of florals and a touch of blackcurrants. There is real power here, but everything is in balance. Good intensity throughout with juicy acidity and abundant, fine, powdery tannins. A wine which will easily see out the next fifteen to twenty years." 98/100