Description

A team up for Alain Graillot and his Australian importer with local wine maker Luke Lambert. Based out of a 3.3 hectare plot in Heathcote. There are two wines made, the Syrah and Syrah No. 2. The main Syrah comes from the stoney top block and make to be savoury and of the earth. While No.2 comes from the flatter ground and is more forward and approachable.

Half of the hand-picked Syrah was left as whole bunches and it all was transferred to open top fermenters. When it was time to pressed off the wine went large format, older wood for ageing for 13 months. Bottling took place without fining or filtration.

“Hand-picked from the top of the block, 50% whole bunches, 50% whole berries, including small parcels of carbonic maceration. Excellent colour; has more texture to the palate than Project No. 2, and is more elegant. A Socratean style (Socrates dissatisfied). The dried herb/spice nuances add something No. 2 lacks, but that’s not the end of the story. Two very different and accessible wines.” 96 points, James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion edition 2017

Heathcote

The glamour region of Victoria for lovers of big reds. And the core production is Shiraz and Cabernet with ‘guts’. But it is a region that offers a lot of diversity when you scratch the surface. The cooler southern parts border Macedon and make lovely aromatic wines. There is a lot of experimentation and adoption of more drought resistant Italian varieties to great effect too.

Shiraz/Syrah

A bit of a chameleon, Shiraz can change how it looks depending on terroir and/or wine maker influence. The Syrah based wines of Northern Rhone are dry and austere while the Shiraz of Barossa is rich and fleshy. A variety that lends itself to long aging but can be drunk at any time of its evolution.