2023 Ravensworth Syrah

94 POINTS

Erin Larkin - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2023 Syrah leads with a bouquet steeped in rose petals, rose oil, blood orange, myrrh, plum and mulberry. It has notes of chinotto and mustard seed, licorice and blueberry. This is a very pretty cool-climate Syrah. It fermented with whole berries and matured in one new Taransaud puncheon for two years. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

93 POINTS

Mike Bennie - The Wine Front

“Shiraz was a clear month later than the current year”, a summation of a vexatious growing season that was late to start, wet, very wet, “perhaps the wettest we’ve had”. The home vineyard is maintained with light machinery and by hand so disease was dealt with, or, as Bryan Martin reports, “…didn’t deal with any disease”. Phew. The Syrah is a single clone. It spent eight weeks on skins and was matured for two years in barrel. It has the wash and slosh of the season but there’s plenty of attractive, dark fruit, woody spice, sweet earth, truffle and peppery elements here. There’s dashes of mint and eucalyptus too, a touch of tomato leaf, wet herbs. It’s pleasing in its way, a shimmy of light tannins help things along. All up, of the season, a softness and ease of drinking.

92 POINTS

Jane Faulkner - Halliday Wine Companion

Not an easy season, wet and with that lots of pressure and thus work to ensure fruit is in good nick, and yet this wine is revealing all the best things of that vintage: peppery, spicy, some bresaola plus florals, boot polish and herbs. It is aromatic; it is syrah, after all. The palate is tight, with lots of upfront tangy acidity and sinewy tannins. There’s plenty to enjoy here, and best in the short-term.