Frankland Estate Isolation Ridge Syrah 2021

There’s a spring in the step of Isolation Ridge ’21 Syrah. It’s there in the brightness of its crimson-purple hues, the heady scent of Aussie flora, earth and red fruit, but a large part of its true personality is dictated by the lively injection of pepperiness. It shimmies, it bounces, it brings piquant notes and added spiciness. It’s quite delightful. Could this high-level spiciness be the reason for the name change from what used to be labelled Isolation Ridge Shiraz to Syrah, a few vintages back? The ‘21 definitely falls within what we might expect of Syrah: the medium-bodied weight, lifted aromatics and plush, ripe fruit combined with energetic spiciness. There are also some savoury notes that join with a gravelly tannin presence, completing what is a pretty impressive young red. There’s plenty to explore here.