Lone Star Creek Syrah 2021 750ml

It pours a lively deep crimson colour, very deep at the core but bright at the edge. A great wine to sniff; it smells like ripe blackcurrant, cranberry, five spice, pepper and a little smoky grilled meat. The ripe vibe continues on the front palate, it's rich, fleshy and bold fruit flavours seem at odds with the palate weight - it's light on its feet but carries heaps of flavour. The middle and back palate take a savoury, spicy, meaty and profoundly peppery turn with a long, dry, crunchy finish. This stuff is grouse now but will get better with a few years' rest somewhere cool and dark, and it'll drink well for a decade. Lone Star Creek's wines are favourites around here, the Pinot Noir, Gris & Chardonnay alongside their Pet-Nat and Red are many people's go-to wines. They're consistently reliable and well-priced. This 2021 Syrah release takes things up a notch, we're going from admirable and affable into absolutely compelling territory here.