2024 Pooley JRD Cooinda Vale Syrah, Coal River Valley

The Pooley icon syrah is sourced from the Cooinda Vale vineyard in Campania, Coal River Valley; 100% destemmed and 12 months' maturation in French oak, 50% new. Magenta-splashed crimson with aromas of uber-pure doris plum, boysenberry and blueberry with underlying hints of five-spice, pan juices, panforte, citrus blossom high tones, pepper-crusted meats, vanillin oak, dried tobacco and crushed rock. Head-spinning purity on the palate with juicy plum and blueberry fruits, a lipsmacking mineral line and a graceful travel. Such a beautiful wine. Drink 2025 to 2045.

96+ points Dave Brookes for Halliday Wine Companion, March 2026

Pooley Wines was established in 1985 when Denis and Margaret Pooley planted ten rows of Riesling and seven rows of Pinot Noir on their farm at Cooinda Vale in the Coal River Valley — a retirement project that quietly became one of Tasmania's most admired wine estates. Three generations of the family have shaped it since, with winemaker Anna Pooley now at the helm, bringing precision and a deep sense of place to everything produced under the label.

In 1999, Margaret Pooley sat on the back verandah at Cooinda Vale with her grandson Matt, propagating cuttings over cups of tea. They talked about climate change and where it might take Tasmania's wine future. That spring, Matt planted four rows of Syrah, a variety with almost no history on the island at the time. Eight rows now, enough for two or three barrels depending on the vintage. A quiet act of faith that has become one of Tasmania's most compelling wines.

The Coal River Valley sits inland from the Tasman Sea's moderating reach, giving it more warmth and sunshine than much of the island. In the right season, cool nights and generous days produce Syrah of uncommon purity and perfume, built for the very long haul. The JRD draws from Tahbilk clone vines in the Cooinda Vale vineyard.

Doris plum, boysenberry and blueberry on the nose, with five spice, citrus blossom and crushed rock beneath. The palate is generous and precise — juicy dark fruit, pepper-crusted meat notes moving along a mineral line with real grace. Twelve months in French oak, half new, shapes the wine firmly without obscuring what the site has given.

Anna Pooley's cellaring guidance is eighteen to twenty-five years from vintage. That's not a boast, it's a description. Production is small and these wines move quickly.