Frankland Estate Isolation Ridge Vineyard Syrah 2023

There is something about the kind of lively spiciness that Isolation Ridge Vineyard always brings to its wines. It’s a potent and exhilarating feature once again in the 2024 Syrah with an ever-present, intense black pepperiness on show. Too much? Maybe for some, but for my money it’s showing its cool climate credentials and it adds a mighty fresh and lively adjunct to the wine’s loganberry, black cherry, blackberry, briar and spice-laden fruits. The pepperiness provides a lot of the energy to the wine. The middle palate is plush in red fruits with a sour cherry tartness together with a whisper of woodsmoke and earthiness. It is nicely finished in firm tannins.