2020 Swinney Syrah, Frankland River

Hand-picked fruit 31% whole bunches, fermented wild and left on skins for 2 weeks on skins. Pressed direct to large-format French oak (13% new) and matured for 11 months. Sweet, perfumed black fruit on the nose, laced with blood and rust, serving up a potently engaging mix of characters that demand a 2nd and 3rd look. In the mouth the fruit is concentrated and dense, with very finely woven tea-like tannins that distinctly express graphite and coal dust ... a lot going on.

94 points Erin Larkin winecompanion.com.au

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 points Mike Bennie winefront.com.au AUG21 Drink 2021 - 2032

From the windswept hills of Frankland River in Western Australia’s Great Southern region, Swinney has rapidly become one of the country’s most exciting sources of Rhône inspired Syrah. The Swinney family have farmed this remote property since the 1920s, though it was not until the late 1990s that vines were planted on the gravelly ironstone and loam soils overlooking the Frankland River. Today the wines are crafted by winemaker Rob Mann, whose experience in both Australia and France has shaped a refined and site driven approach. The Swinney Syrah draws fruit from dry grown bush vines planted on these ancient soils, producing fruit with remarkable purity and savoury complexity.

The colour shows deep crimson with purple edges. Aromas lift from the glass with black cherry, blueberry and dark plum woven with cracked pepper, violets and subtle smoked meat, a nod to classic northern Rhône Syrah. With time more layers appear including olive tapenade, graphite and warm spice. The palate is concentrated yet beautifully composed, with fine tannins and bright natural acidity carrying flavours of dark berries, spice and savoury earth. A thread of mineral tension runs through the wine leading to a long, elegant finish that reflects the cool climate of Frankland River.

 It will continue to develop over the next ten to fifteen years and pairs wonderfully with roast lamb, grilled venison, slow braised beef or earthy dishes built around mushrooms and herbs.