The Wine Front and Mike Bennie review Syrahmi.

Now you can read what they had to say.

Syrahmi Climat Heathcote Shiraz 2009  (15 September 2011)

Greenstone vineyard shiraz from two different clones. 4,500 vines a hectare makes for some tight living. 60% whole bunch goes into the mix.

Really attractive, dense plume of aromas as garam masala spice, figs, date and clod earth make their presence known. The palate has a sapid meaty quality but surprisingly slender for the region and year. Slick wild red berries jostle through pepper, bouquet garni herbs and a bricky yet fresh finish. Slippery texture gives a clue to regionality, but this is a lighter shade for the area. Elegance comes to Heathcote; bring it on.
Rated : 94 Points
Tasted : SEP11
Alcohol : 13.2%
Price : $50
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2011 – 2018+

Syrahmi Mourvedre Heathcote 2010 (15 September 2011)

For Adam Foster Heathcote has a lure. He is playing an underhanded card to the norm, seeking ripeness but also a lighter expression of red wine from the region. Savoury, mineral driven, special bits of dirt are his metier. This mourvedre comes from the famed Greenstone vineyard.

Dried alpine herbs, mulberry, cola, sweet wild berry fruit and a cavalcade of earthy spice. The palate has a surprising freshness for the weight and concentration – black berry and dried fig sweetness lifts the savoury and faint mineral vein, fine tannins guide the wine’s length. The finish does have some slick heat and a little cloy, but the overall impression is of an expressive wine that holds its girth well while offering some finer detail to mull over. Day two and food showed the heat mostly dissipate.

Rated : 93+ Points
Tasted : SEP11
Alcohol : 14.2%
Price : $45
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2011 – 2017

L’Imposteur Grenache by Monsieur Foster 2009 (20 September 2011)

Adam Foster has spent time making wine with Pierre Gaillard, Michel Ogier and Michel Chapoutier in his journeyman winemaking career. In 2008 Foster got to the Rhone early then waited around for the average vintage to finally kick off. He was sent down to Banyuls to help make whites for Gaillard while he was waiting, then got a call from Gaillard and Michel Ogier warning him off the Rhone, so he stayed in Banyuls. He bought grenache fruit from Gaillard that vintage and continues to source fruit from there ongoing. From Collioure in Banyuls.

Earthy, brick notes, dried herbs, a few Gitanes, some soy sauce and the dark, sweet perfumed black berries of grenache. The wine is slippery, deeply flavoured with cassis, mocha, olives and Provençal herbs. Has some serious weight up front but slips easily in the mouth, finishing long and juicy. Very interesting, better with some charry meat and certainly worth a look in.

Rated : 93 Points
Tasted : SEP11
Alcohol : 14%
Price : $45
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2011 – 2015+

As seen in this week’s edition of Melbourne Weekly Magazine, Timeout’s Ben Knight from the Grapevine column writes a great article on “yours truly” and checks out my 2010 Foster e Rocco sangiovese, Heathcote  and 2009 Syrahmi Climat, Heathcote. Read below what Ben has to say.

Thanks Ben and Melbourne Weekly Magazine for the kind words.

Winewise Review: Volume 26 Number 6 February 2011 Page 29

Adam Foster and 2008 L’Imposteur Vin de Pays d’Or Grenache appear in the new Discoveries Section of  Winewise wine reviews.

Adam Foster:

Adam judges with us at the Small Vigneron Awards, and has become a serious player at the top end of Heathcote Shiraz with his Syrahmi brand.  He also does vintage in France, and has made a delicious grenache.

2008 L’Imposteur Vin de Pays d’Or Grenache: current Winewise wine review received Highly Recommended score.

It delivers all the richness expected of south-0f–France wines together with raspberry, plum, black truffle and earthy hints. The tannins are very supple, inviting immediate drinking.

highly recommended 14.0% Cork

About Winewise Magazine

Winewise Magazine was founded in 1985. Each year they review more than 2,500 wines in six issues (at least 32 pages per issue) covering all the major varietal styles at least twice. They report on the world’s best winemakers and viticultural regions, and their editorials tackle some of the major issues in the world of wine.

In addition, they provide a comprehensive coverage of the best of Australia’s small wineries by conducting the annual Winewise Small Vigneron Awards.

Unlike other magazines, they publish reviews of all wines tasted by the panel and they don’t restrict their tastings only to wines submitted by wine companies. They also purchase wines for tasting from retail outlets in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra.

Apart from their own ad for the Winewise Half-Dozen, Winewise carries no advertising, and reviews of all wines tasted are published under the categories ‘Outstanding’, ‘Highly Recommended’, ‘Recommended’, ‘Agreeable’, ‘Acceptable’, and ‘Unacceptable’.

Winewise is the only consumer wine magazine providing such a comprehensive coverage of Australian and imported wines.

Winewise Review: Volume 26 Number 6 February,2011 page 3

Shiraz : The top dozen or so wines show what can be done with shiraz in a wide range of environments. Towards the bottom there are far too many dull, advanced wines.

2009 Syrahmi Climat Heathcote Shiraz – current Winewise wine review received Highly Recommended score.

A very intriguing, complex style with more than a hint of northern Rhône about it. The vibrant red berry/spice aromas are enhanced by a hint of black olive.
The savoury tannins complement the lovely fruit expression.

About Winewise Magazine

Winewise Magazine was founded in 1985. Each year they review more than 2,500 wines in six issues (at least 32 pages per issue) covering all the major varietal styles at least twice. They report on the world’s best winemakers and viticultural regions, and their editorials tackle some of the major issues in the world of wine.

In addition, they provide a comprehensive coverage of the best of Australia’s small wineries by conducting the annual Winewise Small Vigneron Awards.

Unlike other magazines, they publish reviews of all wines tasted by the panel and they don’t restrict their tastings only to wines submitted by wine companies. They also purchase wines for tasting from retail outlets in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra.

Apart from their own ad for the Winewise Half-Dozen, Winewise carries no advertising, and reviews of all wines tasted are published under the categories ‘Outstanding’, ‘Highly Recommended’, ‘Recommended’, ‘Agreeable’, ‘Acceptable’, and ‘Unacceptable’.

Winewise is the only consumer wine magazine providing such a comprehensive coverage of Australian and imported wines.

Syrahmi L’Imposteur 2008 features in Rite-Of-Passage by Ben Thomas at The Weekly Review.

Rite-Of-Passage

Working a vintage overseas during the Australian off-season is a rite of passage for many young winemakers.

If you ask a winemaker about his or her biggest influences, many will tell you it was a vintage worked in the vineyards of France or Spain or Italy. Lost-in-translation moments, forgotten skills and techniques and uncovering new wine styles contribute to a winemaker’s identity and steer a course for the future.

For the full article check out byThe Weekly Review:  Rite-Of-Passage

Ben’s Review

Syrahmi L’Imposteur 2008

(Vin de Pays d’OC, France) $45; 14%

4.5/5

In 2008, former sommelier Adam Foster was given the chance to make his own wines from 60-year-old bush grenache vines from the Banyuls region in southern France. It smells of raspberries, cherries, plums, dried herbs and a hint of cedar oak. It’s light on its feet and well balanced, with fine, silky tannins and bright acid balancing out complex sour cherry, raspberry, nuts, earthy and meaty flavours. All this, plus a persistent finish, makes it a joy to drink.

Food match \ Rillettes

Review 6th February, 2011 Tim White writes the wine column in the Australian Financial Review.  (Wine Tim White: What to Drink 6th February, 2011 – LIFE 004).

Tim suggested Syrahmi Climat 2009 (Heathcote, Vic) as one of the wines to drink. Thanks Tim for the kind words. Mossy spicy nose – curry bush almost . really savoury smelling. Sort of peat-flinty. The palate is fruitcake and preserved peel tasting.  It is loaded with fruit and yet is dry and firm to close, with a touch of the peatiness of the nose. Shows forest humus-type characters too: this is facinating stuff. Gets better – richer –  as it opens up with air.  94/100, $52.

December 13 2010 The Age Entertainment by Jeni Port : The best wines of 2010

In a tough year for the wine industry, JeniPort rates her top drops.

FAREWELL to another depressing year for so many involved in the Australian wine industry. It was cheered up only by the joy of a wonderful 2010 vintage and the chance to drink some excellent wines. Thankfully, there were many — here are my picks of the year.

Best shiraz

We’ve celebrated shiraz’s machismo, now let’s celebrate its feminine side. Former chef and sommelier Adam Foster at Syrahmi is making one of the prettiest, most ethereal Heathcote shirazes going. His 2008 Maelstrom shiraz ($49) was from a vintage Foster declared “out of control, stressful, manic”. syrahmi.com.au.

Best cabernet sauvignon

Is there any cabernet in this country that can compare with Vanya Cullen’s Diana Madeline cabernet sauvignon? I think not. Following the sublime 2007 (still available) comes the 2008 ($105), in all its elegance.

Best cabernet blend

The former Vasse Felix senior winemaker Clive Otto (right), is a star. His move to Fraser Gallop Estate in Margaret River has seen his work continue to shine. Take the 2009 cabernet merlot ($25), the essence of cabernet blackcurrant intensity with the lifted, perfumed charm of merlot. Love his work.

Best pinot noir

Tasmania hosts the 2012 International Cool Climate Wine Symposium, an honour based largely, I suspect, on the quality of its pinot noir. There are so many to choose as top examples but I’m going with the supreme elegance of Meadowbank’s 2008 Henry James pinot noir ($50). Get a good mouthful and you’ll find cherry, spice, nutmeg and raspberry fruitiness with fine tannins to finish and just a touch of pungent tomato leafiness.

Best use of an Australian classic grape variety

This year, we saw the rise of a golden oldie, a grape associated with fortifieds and for a while reinvented as a new-age Rhone Ranger table wine. Some call it mourvedre but it will always be mataro. One of the more exciting releases was Ducks in a Row 2009 Erect Habit mataro ($60). The vines are 60 years old, the place is McLaren Vale and the winemaker is former Foster’s senior winemaker Glenn James. The wine is like a slice of Siena cake: rich fruit, nutty, loads of spice and melts in the mouth. ducksinarow.com.au.

Best use of an alternative grape variety

You don’t get more alternative than aglianico. Can’t pronounce the name? Tick. Don’t know where it’s from? Tick. Suspect it might be tasty and savoury? Tick. The burly red grape hails from the south of Italy, doesn’t mind a bit of heat and has attitude when it comes to acid and tannin. Ag is no wimp. Amadio obtained aglianico from the Barossa Valley in 2009. Good depth of fruit here, lots of lively spiciness with soused cherries and a good kick of tannin to bring everything to a close.

Best rosé

Rosé can be a serious wine. Really. Taste the Spinifex 2010 Barossa rosé ($19) and tell me otherwise. No sweetness, no bubble-gum confection, just fresh red berries and refreshing acidity. spinifexwines. com.au.

Best red for $20 or less

Who would have thought a pinot could be considered the country’s best-value red under $20 a bottle? Unheard of — until before the Josef Chromy 2009 Pepik pinot noir ($20). Here, colour is not a strong point but flavour is, with pretty potpourri and aromatic aromas in a delicate, raspberry, woodsy wine.

Best riesling

One of the first rieslings released from the terrific 2010 vintage also turned out to be the most outstanding: Kilikanoon Mort’s Block 2010 Watervale riesling ($22). The chalky, dry, acidic qualities of Clare Valley riesling have been subjected to the ire of some overseas wine writers but there’ll be no such criticism of this gorgeous, friendly, dry (but not too much) riesling.

Best chardonnay

Oakridge 864 chardonnay from the 2009 vintage ($72). This taut, intense Yarra Valley wonder is fast becoming the standard by which we judge Aussie chardonnay. End of story.

Best sauvignon blanc

Don’t know why there should be so much bad-mouthing of Australian sauvignon blanc when there are wines such as Taltarni 2008 Three Monks fume blanc ($23) on the stands. Taltarni has highlighted the grape’s less sunny side. A subtle, gently herbal dry white, with generous mouth-feel.

Best new wine style

Last year, Stanton & Killeen’s The Prince Reserva, a blend of Portugal’s traditional fortified grapes made into a dry red, got the gong. Guess what? This year, Quattro Mano’s 2009 blend of Portugal’s fortified grapes touriga, tinta amarela and tinta cao from the Barossa Valley takes the prize. La Morada (“the purple one”) is another big win for this emerging blend in Australia: bright garnet, the scent of a Mediterranean garden (dried herbs, lavender), garden-fresh flavours (plums, blueberry, violet, spice) and a clean, dry tannic finish. quattromano.com.au.

Best white for $20 or less

The original alternative white-grape variety in this country is marsanne. It’s been here for 100 years and still there are drinkers only just discovering it. Which is where All Saints Estate 2009 marsanne ($20) comes in. The Rhone grape loves to be au naturel (little or no oak) to show off all its charming citrussy and honeysuckle notes. prbwines.com.au.

Best imported wine

Another big year for imports. The Italians, Spanish and Portuguese ran hot but a Mallorcan wine slipped in the back door unnoticed. Almost! Anima Negra’s 2005 callet ($120) highlights the indigenous callet red grape, recalling the aromas of spring (the vineyard shares ground with apricot trees), which become fully focused on the palate, highlighting violets, spice, herbs and a mint or eucalypt savouriness. Imported by The Spanish Acquisition (thespanishacquisition.com).

Best unusual blended wine

The typical French shiraz viognier — red grape, white grape — marriage sure did start something in Oz. Last year, we saw a fab shiraz riesling come through. This year, it’s another striking blend, this time using shiraz and roussanne. Sarah Gough of Box Grove Vineyard at Tabilk has written papers on roussanne, so she’s something of a local expert on the grape. Her 2008 shiraz roussanne ($21) plays fleshy, aromatic, rich shiraz against the force of her dry roussanne. boxgrovevineyard.com.au.

Best fortified

If Australian fortifieds are to not only survive but thrive, they have to become relevant to a younger generation. Scion Vineyard in Rutherglen is doing that with a range of new styles led by its 2008 sweet durif ($29), which is boisterously sweet, showing the fun side of a grape that normally frightens grown men with its tannic ferocity. scionvineyard.com.

Good Wine Guide 2011 by Nick Stock reviews Syrahmi Climat Shiraz 2009.

The Age Epicure: Spring Edition. reviewed L’Imposteur Grenache 2008 and Jenni Port looked into Heathcote’s deep history.

Ralph Kyte-Powell – Tasting Notes reviewed L’Imposteur Grenache 2008

Syrahmi Maelstrom Shiraz 2008 featured in Melbourne Magazine August 2010