2025 Alkimi Syrah Rosé, Yarra Valley

Stuart Dudine launched his one-man-band Alkimi in 2014. The name comes from the phonetic spelling of alchemy, the ancient practice of transforming base materials into gold through a blend of science, philosophy, and mysticism. For Stuart, these aren’t abstract ideas, but rather a way to stay connected to the land, his craft, and the intentions behind every wine he makes.

He eschews formulas, but favours natural acidity, wild yeasts and wines that are stabilised naturally. No fining agents, mostly unfiltered and minimal amounts of sulphur. For him, being a small producer isn't a limitation, but rather an advantage that allows attention to detail that is not possible at scale.

Stuart’s focus is on Yarra Valley which he believes to have great potential for the Rhône varieties and styles. He began farming an established Marsanne vineyard at Mount Evelyn in 2017, but the admiration for Rhône varieties and styles has its foundations in his formative years, learning from some of the best proponents of those wines: Stéphane Ogier, Château Mont-Redon, Henschke and Yarra Yering.

The Shiraz fruit for this rosé was purpose-grown in the D’Aloisio vineyard at 220 metres elevation in the Seville sub-region of Yarra Valley. Ideal spring conditions in 2025 led to excellent fruit set and beautifully balanced canopies. A warm summer provided optimal ripening and healthy crops rich in flavour. The moderately ripe fruit for this wine was hand-picked and whole bunch pressed into stainless steel for fermentation at cool temperatures. The wine was left with a modest 5g/L of residual sugar.

The wine gathers your attention with its pale pink colour and the initially musky floral aromas. These are followed by light strawberry fruitiness and appealing whiffs of fresh pungent herbs. The fruitiness continues on the palate, with juicy strawberries and watermelon and refreshing bittersweet quality — think of negronis, pomegranate and blood orange.

We’re firmly in pre-dinner grazing territory here. You could open a bag of chips, but fancier nibbles don’t need to equate to hours in the kitchen. Impress with crispy-fried halloumi bites, drizzled with pomegranate molasses, dusted with sumac and topped with fresh mint. A bit more chopping to do with Thai-style prawn toasts (Khanom Pang Na Goong) with a cucumber and herb relish. Legend status achieved either way.