2025 Yabby Lake Single Vineyard Syrah, Mornington Peninsula

A Region renowned for its pinot noir and chardonnay, yet syrah can come along and steal the show. This is excellent. Floral and spicy, full of dark plums and baking spices with wafts of charcuterie and a hint of meaty reduction. The fuller-bodied palate is coated with beautiful tannins and fine acidity. Youthful and charming today; more complexity to come in another year or so.

96 points Special Value Jane Faulkner for Halliday Wine Companion May 2026

Yabby Lake has built a formidable reputation for crafting some of the Mornington Peninsula’s most precise and site expressive wines, with the Kirby family and winemaker Tom Carson helping redefine what modern cool climate Australian wine can look like. While the estate is often celebrated for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, their Syrah has quietly become one of the most exciting examples of the variety in the country. Drawn from a single vineyard shaped by maritime influences and long, slow ripening conditions, this is Syrah with perfume, detail and finesse rather than sheer weight.

The 2025 vintage is beautifully composed and intensely aromatic. Dark cherry, blackberry and wild plum fruit rise from the glass alongside cracked pepper, violets, smoked herbs and hints of olive tapenade. There is a distinctly cool climate feel to the wine, with freshness and spice carrying the palate rather than heavy oak or overripe fruit. Fine tannins wrap around layers of black fruits, savoury earth and subtle graphite minerality, while carefully judged oak adds texture and gentle warmth without overwhelming the vineyard character. The finish is long, silky and peppery, lingering with notes of dried herbs and dark spice.

This is a brilliant food wine with enough elegance to handle refined dishes yet enough depth for richer winter cooking. Roast duck with black olives, chargrilled lamb cutlets or slow braised beef cheeks would all be sensational matches. It would also shine beside smoky eggplant dishes, mushroom ragù or hard cheeses enjoyed late into the evening. As the wine breathes, more floral perfume and savoury complexity emerge, making every glass more compelling than the last.

Critics have increasingly praised Yabby Lake’s Syrah releases for their balance, detail and ability to rival the best cool climate examples from around the world. The 2025 release feels like another major statement, capturing Mornington Peninsula Syrah at its most refined and captivating while still delivering enormous drinking pleasure in its youth.