Passel Estate Lot 71 Reserve Syrah 2020

40% whole cluster semi-carbonic maceration for five days, with the open fermenter topped with whole berries. Followed by 14 days on skins, gentle juice extraction and fermentation in oak. 16 months in French oak (40% new). A step up in concentration and complexity from the Shiraz. The nose is fuelled by an abundance of wood and souk spice, with a firm handling of oak. Star anise, carraway, curry leaf, cinnamon, clove et all. Dense black fruits, bramble, and a crushed potpourri note follow with hints of cured meat. This has structure: tannins are firm and the fruit is silty with a mid-weight concentration.  Turn of the head acidity brightens the finish and keeps it fresh. All in all, a lovely Syrah that will continue to develop with time in the cellar but is drinking beautifully now.