Swinney Syrah Mouvedre Grenache 2018

2018 Syrah Mouvedre Grenache, Frankland River

43% syrah, 38% mouvedre, 19% grenache

The mouvedre… you can taste it, smell it, feel it.  Mulberry, blood, red gravel, ironstone, brine.  The tannins are incredibly engaging, literally gripping.  There’s a ripe heirloom tomato character, crunchy sea salt, dark chocolate, blood plum, hints of pomelo.  The tannins are chewy without elasticity, they are defined and yet pliable.  Tightly knit, fine, tightly woven.  

Harvested across four dates in March and April, this is an extremely interesting, silky, balanced wine… I love it.  The syrah is included to contribute the backbone (the round core of fruit on the palate) and the spice.  The mouvedre adds the texture and its own personal flavour spectrum of mulberries and exotic spice, and the grenache gives perfume and aroma.  They work so well together.  Hand-picked, sorted by hand, 15% whole bunch, wild ferment.  2 weeks on skins, pressed directly to barrel (French, 25% new).

96+/100

As a winemaker I’m a huge fan of co-fermenting.  I like the idea of committing in the vineyard.  – Rob Mann