Syrahmi

Mourvèdre 2021

The name Syrahmi blends “Syrah” with the French “ami,” meaning friend, a fitting label for Adam Foster’s lifelong love affair with Rhône varieties. A former chef, Foster traded the kitchen for the cellar in the early 2000s, working vintages with legends such as Michel Chapoutier, Stéphane Ogier and Pierre Gaillard. He released his first Heathcote Shiraz in 2004 and is now based at Tooborac, in the cooler southern hills of Heathcote, where he planted his own vineyard in 2017. His Mourvèdre takes a gentle approach to a famously tannic grape, using whole bunches and minimal extraction to give a savoury, finely structured style. From a near-ideal Heathcote vintage, expect dark fruit, smoked charcuterie, violets, cloves and balsamic herbs, with a touch of leather, sinuous tannins and refreshing acidity.