2021 Murdoch Hill Syrah, Adelaide Hills

While this maker's upper-echelon syrah, the Landau, reminds me of a top Saint-Joseph, this is an equally drinkable wine, albeit, not in the same league. Nor, of course, the same price. There is more sweetness flowing across the seams, less refined tannins and a burst of acidity. Yet there is tapenade, charcuterie and blue fruits. A smidgeon of bunchy grip, too, conferring a modicum of class.

92 points Ned Goodwin MW winecompanion.com.au

In some circles, Michael Downer’s ‘Murdoch Hill’ label does not have the crafty kudos of the Artisan Series, yet the wines are made with the same care and attention and in a broadly similar mould. This bottling hails from estate-grown fruit from an east-facing block planted in 1998 (where organic practices are employed). The fruit was fermented wild in open-top fermenters with a 15% whole-bunch inclusion lending an impressive aromatic lift. Maturation took place mainly in old barriques with a small portion (15%) in new—Michael Downer is seeking complexity from fruit rather than oak.