2020 McLaren Vale Syrah

The 2020 Syrah is elegant and spicy—the whole-bunch component lends a spice and a skeleton (I always mean to say rachis, yet I censor myself to skeleton each time) and a structure that is most attractive. The wine is concentrated and silken, with a flow and ebb in the mouth that speaks volumes to the pedigree of fruit resource and clever handling in the winery. At this stage, the oak is still obvious in the glass, however having tasted the 2019 alongside, I can confirm that it recedes into the fruit like the ocean over sand with time. In my opinion, the best McLaren Vale Shirazes/Syrahs display a balance of sweet fruit and meat; it's a challenge to foster both parts of the grape in the bottle, but when it's done, it is a marvel. As this is.