2020 Bekkers Syrah

Rich, complex and layered with a Northern Rhone like meatiness.

Impenetrable inky black core with a deep dark red black tinged hue. Strong blackberry, liquorice and dark plum aromas infused with a mix of clove and smoked meats engulf the nostrils. Some spicy vanillin cedar, fennel and peppered earth notes ensue. Rich and layered with a Northern Rhone like meatiness, the long savoury palate is decorated with succulent dark plum, liquorice and black cherry fruits. Smoked meat, infusions of clove, fennel, spicy vanillin cedar and peppered earth elements lend further complexity. Concentrated and powerful it has fine grained tannins which possess underlying muscle. Concludes super long and sophisticated with smoked meat and pepper characters lingering through the finish.
Drink over the next 6-8 years.
Alc. 14.2%

Other Reviews….
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. Drink 2022-2032.
96 Points
Erin Larkin – Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate

Clarendon and Seaview sourcing, harvested across staggered windows to impart textural detail and freshness. Fermented wild with gentle pumpovers. 50% bunches in the mix. Basket pressed to 500L French wood (55% new). The end result, as with all wines here, is one of consummate class and refinement. While the grenache is the leading light, this sits comfortably in 2nd place. Carnal spice, pepper grind, salami and blue to darker fruits are strung across bow of saline tannic tension, rolled into a firm gristly knot. Superlative grape tannins, mind you, extracted with a confident aplomb. The oak, a mere echo. This glimpses the finest crus of the northern Rhône through the lens of the Vale. Exciting. Exceptional. Rewarding. Drink by 2030.
96 Points
Ned Goodwin – James Halliday’s Australian Wine Companion