Description / Reviews
"The Home Block High Density Vineyard sits at 400m elevation in a natural, north-facing amphitheatre next to our home in Tooborac. We noticed the site’s potential in 2015, and then after much planning, in 2017, we planted three shiraz clones – PT10, 2626 and Mt Langi – from east to west across 0.35 hectares. With only 75cm between each vine and 1.45m rows in between, the Home Block High Density Vineyard is currently the most southerly, high altitude and densely planted vineyard in the Heathcote region. All vines are on their own rootstock in decomposed granite soil with no clay, and a light 15-30cm of topsoil. The giant granite boulders that surround the vineyard are a stunning allusion to the 380 million years of erosion that gave us the decomposed granite we find in the vineyard; the soil you see on the front of our Syrahmi Home Block High Density Shiraz wine bottles. Throughout the year we tend the vines by hand, which gives us a close understanding of what’s happening in the vineyard. We use organic practices and the Poussard pruning method to lower the risk of disease pressure, a concern that is further eased by the decision to cordon canes at one metre, which helps to create better airflow. Cordoning in this way also helps to protect both vines and fruit from reflected heat from the earth, while a zero till policy helps prevent soil erosion, in turn promoting biodiversity and vine health. The vineyard’s orientation is inspired by our family home, which we noticed received generous sunshine in the cooler months, and ample shade in the summertime. Both our home and the Syrahmi Home Block High Density Vineyard face six degrees south of west, which encourages even ripening and helps to protect the vines from harsh winds and direct sunlight. As the Australian climate continues to change, the vineyard aspect is critical in helping us extend the ripening period – for greater concentration and complexity – without increasing the alcohol of the final wine.
While we harvest other grapes around the Heathcote region usually late February or early March, the Home Block is typically picked in April." - Syrahmi, Winemaker
"The 2021 Shiraz Home Block is a unique Heathcote expression with a strong mineral-inflected aromatic core lifted by wood smoke, white pepper and bouquet garni. Compact, confident and focused, it is richly tannic yet also energetic, with a slick texture. The wine is incredibly tightly wound, harmonious and only just peeking out from under its shell. I like this considerably more than the 2019 vintage, as it offers greater breadth of flavor and underlying power with an immaculate finish." - 98 Points, Angus Hughson, Vinous
"The front label of this wine features the actual soil/rock of the vineyard, hand-pressed onto the bottle. That’s a distinctly ‘cheffy’ touch by ex-chef Adam Foster of Syrahmi. The soil in question is decomposed granite, and one of many ultra cool things about this label/wine is that the soil is not only real, and theatrical, but the soil itself looks distinctive. That is, it’s quite remarkably “rocky”, in a smashed down form. If you were going to put the actual soil of a vineyard onto a bottle, you’d want it to look and feel something like this. Syrahmi’s home, high density vineyard is the most southern vineyard in the Heathcote region. It’s in the Heathcote region, but in many ways it’s more Macedon than Colbinabbin – Syrahmi is 25 kilometres from Macedon, but 75kms from Colbinabbin. Colbinnabin is a key area in the north of the Heathcote region.
So Syrahmi’s High Density vineyard is clearly at the cooler, southern end of the region. It’s also (I think) the highest altitude vineyard in the region. The High Density section of the Syrahmi Home Vineyard also has the densest vine planting in all of the region, at circa 9200 vines per hectare. It’s also planted at an unusual orientation, (to quote Adam Foster) “six degrees south of west, which encourages even ripening and helps to protect the vines from harsh winds and direct sunlight.” It’s also run organically, using Poussard pruning. Most Heathcote shiraz grapes are picked in February and March. Syrahmi’s Home Block and Home High Density Block are picked in April. This wine was raised/matured in a ceramic egg.
In every nook and in every cranny this is a crackerjack bottle of shiraz. It blooms with black pepper; it carries subtle mescal notes; it’s washed through with sweet plum; it’s lined and cushioned by roasted nuts, velvet cream, redcurrants and salted dark chocolate. It’s fresh, vibrant, dense and peppery; it cleanses and it completes. The tannin here is a fine, integrated mesh, and comes studded with yet more spice. In all respects this wine is powerfully seductive. Indeed it is persuasion itself." - 96 Points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
