Vintage 2017 began with a settled and dry Spring resulting in great flowering and a corresponding excellent fruit set. Dry drought like conditions continued into January providing terrific fruit flavours and tannins before a number of intense periods of rainfall, culminating in the arrival of Cyclone Debbie wreaked havoc with the vintage. Similar to 2016 careful attention to detail in the vineyard paid off in what was another challenging vintage!

Our Dreadnought Syrah comes from steep hillside vineyards and is carefully hand harvested before delivery to the winery. The fruit is put across a sorting table before being de stemmed and delivered to open vats for fermentation and in select cases whole clusters where included in the ferment.

Syrah is allowed to ferment with wild yeasts with plunging or pump overs being carried out twice daily. Following an extended time on skins (average 35days in vat) the wines are gently pressed and taken straight tobarrel for natural malolactic fermentation in the spring. The wines are racked once to a blend after 18 months before further
maturing in tank for 3 months prior to bottling.

Tasting Notes 

2017 Dreadnought Syrah is very classical in style, lifted red fruits with a dark edge of graphite and pepper along with savoury stem derived characters make for an intense and interesting aroma profile. The palate is very linear but vibrant carrying good weight and concentration but also a lively streak from the stem inclusion that makes the finish seem fresh and lithe. A great expression of Syrah and compelling summary of the vintage.