5 in 5: Syrah VS Shiraz, Diverse McLaren Vale
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- čas přidán 28. 06. 2024
- We all know that diversity is key to understanding a variety and a region, and in this tasting, I take you through five seriously good, and wildly different Syrah. From fine and bunchy, through to big/alcoholic/plush and everything in between, this snapshot tasting shows that a region as diverse and nuanced as McLaren Vale, is capable of a big elastic spectrum of styles. Have you tried any of these before?
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The wines I open are:
0:00 - Intro - Difference between Syrah and Shiraz in Australia
2:16 - 2020 Bondar Rayner Vineyard Syrah
3:14 - 2020 Bekkers Syrah
5:20 - 2021 In Praise of Shadows Syrah
6:40 - Lay of the land in McLaren Vale
7:18 - 2020 Hickinbotham Syrah
9:34 - 2020 Mollydooker Blue Eyed Boy
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Any review you see on my socials ( / erinllarkin , this channel and my website (www.erinlarkin.com.au) are never paid for by wineries or anyone else: the wines are featured on their merits - because they have risen to the top in tastings. If you try the wines I recommend and you like them - good! Because so do I.
Bekkers for me, first tried at a wine dinner at Lamont’s with JJ, met up with Toby and his brother! Both Lovely chaps, one in wine the other not so much, fantastic wine and certainly a stop when I eventually get over there! Thanks Erin
Highly recommended!
Got to love the Vale, another great review Erin.... thank you
I tried the Mollydooker Velvet Glove 2018 a few months ago and it was outstanding with high complexity, not just a fruit/oak bomb. It. had a lot of meaty and peppery notes with intense black fruit concentration after it opened up with a couple of hours in the decanter. One of the best Australian reds I've tried. My rating 94+ with upside.
It's a distinct style, this wine, quite different from anything else produced here.
Thanks Erin, another great episode. Both very informative and entertaining. I think your best episode since resuming.
Thanks Sam!
Such a fan of elegance Bekkers syrah shows.
Thank you for the excellent reviews, by the way. You really do make me eager to open up a bottle of McLaren syrah/shiraz in the morning :)
Ahhh Breakfast wine! Haha
I love McLaren Vale Syrah - but that might be very obvious!
Really enjoyed this episode ( in our back yard) very informative and well presented. Bekkers a stand out for us and one of Nathan absolute favourites having grown up with Toby. Nathan also used to be an ambassador for Mollydooker back in the day. The carnival of Love or Velvet Glove tasted side by side with the Syrah from Bekkers would be an awesome tasting. Opposite ends of the scale but both amazing wines!
Agree - very different styles! Thanks for watching!
Really glad a serious reviewer in Aus decided to give Mollydooker a go and not just rag on it. I've found that they are the indy-punk of wineries, and what they do, they do very well. I'm someone who loves a Rockford Basket Press, but then also really enjoys what Molly put in the glass - though the styles are so far apart. I think Mollydooker get written off because they do virtually everything differently, but an underrated part of what they are doing is getting a younger generation in to wine (in a good way), which has a knock-on positive impact to other McLaren Vale wineries and the industry as a whole.
They also have the best membership pricing and access of any winery I've experienced. And at one point all their cellar door tasting proceeds were going to charity (I know they are big charity supporters).
This isn't a paid ad, even though it might sound like it. I just feel they're unnecessarily maligned in the wine community. Thanks for giving them a go!
I'm with you re Mollydooker. I love the big bold reds and to pick up Blue Eyed Boy for around $45 from the Molly Club is a steal. I was fortunate enough to pick up 3 bottles of 2005 Enchanted Path. They were absolute magic and amongst the best wines I have ever had.
Must give them another go. I remember enjoying Mollydooker and their eclectic labels. Especially quaffing casually.
Not mclaren vale but there’s fabulous variety in Australian Syrah. Wendouree, Runrig or Farvie Shiraz/Syrah but for the price the ones in the video seem funky and fun.
It's really important to me personally that I remain open to all styles of wines, even ones that don't hit the spot for me and my own personal drinking. I recognise that Mollydooker has a huge following - who am I to tell people the wines aren't great? It's my job to find beauty where there is beauty to be found.
There is huge diversity in Australian Shiraz/Syrah. I’m currently working on a big south Australian Shiraz report for Wine Advocate, taking in a huge array of producers and styles, from Barossa valley, Coonawarra, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley and Limestone Coast. Comprehensive and good.
@@erinlarkin Well said
Love this video
I missed out trying the Mollydooker and Bekkers during our visit.
Is the Bekkers Chablis worth while trying? Will need to try out their Syrah!
It's good! I shared a glass of the 2016 Vaillons with Emmanuelle at dinner while I was there at the end of June. If you can find it I'd definitely recommend you grabbing a bottle.
Thanks for your tasting info Erin; much appreciated. I quite often now visit Bridges in Como and have picked up some wonderful reds, roses etc. Their advice is generally spot on. I'm a little confused as to why some top wine experts steer clear of Mollydooker. I love it. It ages extraordinarily well and it has softness but power that is hard to find elsewhere. Wine Spectator named the Boxer the best shiraz under $30 in Oz. In the same mould is Greenock Creek but I rarely see it presented in tastings. Keen to try Bekkers
The guys at Old Bridge in Como are legends. Great knowledge, and keen wine people. Mollydooker is divisive because the wines are so intense and concentrated; they're almost caricatures of the typical, regional expression of Syrah/Shiraz. The way they achieve that flavour intensity is largely via a vineyard water management program and late picking. High alcohols in wine are also not on trend for a number of reasons, and Mollydooker does all of these things! Like I say in the video though, they do it well.
@@erinlarkin Yes I definitely understand where you're coming from. My tastes are evolving and moving into a variety of stratums that I would never have envisaged a few years ago. I learn a lot from listening and watching you and JJ. Thank you
Went to molldydooker winery years ago after buying the carnival of love 2012 Shiraz which won wine spectator wine of year in states from memory and have enjoyed a wines from there with a few friends who do regular bbq in Melbourne, they like the bigger full oaked style . I agree with you though, as I suspect many others will I prefer the syrahs and love the wines from aphelion (grenache a bit more there ) and bekkers, yangarra , thistledown as well as hinkinbotham. Enjoyed trips to coriole and there's a good cheapy by dune wines there too. great region glad you visited there and Adelaide hills recently which I had a great trip to in April . great reviewing Erin. Is blewitt springs the most underrated wine region in Australia ? The single site grenaches and Shiraz in the region are off the charts for me if you like those wines with lighter alcohol and more elegance .
I couldn't agree more with your list of producers from McLaren Vale. Superstars. Blewitt Springs is not underrated at all... and if I have anything to do with it, more and more people will be talking about it over the coming months! Exceptional growing area for Grenache.
Love the videos mate, can you do some Hunter Valley wines please
Getting to it! Making my way arounnnnd the country. Hunter in November
Had my first bottle of blue eye boy 10 years ago. The fruit jumps out from the bottle enjoy it a lot. But over the years , I seek a more elegant type wine like a syrah. Molly seems to be placed for the American market.
That’s an accurate observation Rex.
Used to be called Hermitage in the Hunter.
It wasn’t just the hunter that adopted names like Hermitage (Shiraz), Rhine Riesling, Burgundy (Pinot Noir, and in the case of Hunter - Shiraz blended with Pinot Noir) and White Burgundy (the Houghtons Chenin/Sav/Sem blend!). We’ve moved on but it’s cool to see some old bottle still getting around with those labels.