A powerful yet elegant cool-climate Shiraz from Geelong, showing layers of violets, black fruits, pepper, and smoky spice. Structured with fine tannins and exceptional length, this wine is both brooding and beautifully refined.

Decanter | D 97
Published: Sep 1, 2024
Drink: 2024 - 2042

The nose is wonderfully intense and complex, with layers of violets, smoked tea leaves, wild herbs and black forest fruit. The palate it is precise, full of energy and incredibly long. Such a gorgeous cool-climate Syrah, which shows the brilliant potential of Geelong for making very Rhône-like, dark and brooding wines. An absorbing wine.

Jamessuckling.com | JS 96
Published: Nov 8, 2023

Lifted cooler climatic notes of charcuterie, lilac, clove and dried kelp. An excellent nose, with hints of briar and dill suggesting a good portion of whole bunches in the mix. A skein of peppery, juicy acidity drags this to exceptional length, sublimating the edginess of the whole-bunch quotient into an impressive, greater whole. This is fine shiraz, auguring for development over eight years in bottle. Drink or hold.

Byfarr.com.au

Shiraz fruit comes from the original By Farr vineyard, planted in 1994. It lies on a north-facing slope, and the red volcanic soil has a base of limestone with deep-set sandstone.

Vinification
All fruit is hand-picked from the VSP trellising, with 20 per cent left as whole bunches in the fermentation. Most years we co-ferment between 2 and 4 per cent viognier with the shiraz, the date determining whether or not the former is co-fermented and bled back. It is a natural fermentation, with the fruit remaining in the tank for 19 days before pressing. Shiraz sees 18 months in French oak, 20 per cent being new, and is bottled under vacuum.

Tasting Notes
A powerful nose, with the depth and complexity of cool-climate shiraz. This wine is spiced with pepper and mineral elements, leaning towards earthy. The co-fermented viognier adds a little richness to both the bouquet and palate, which has a very pleasant sweetness to start, followed by intense fruit and earthy long tannins to complete the delicate structure and overall elegance of the wine.