Hand-picked fruit, 30% whole bunches, open ferment with wild yeast. Matured in (20% new) French barriques for 9 months. After a low-yielding 2020 vintage, Mulline has bounced back big time with a strong 2021 vintage release. This 2021 syrah is a case in point. Bright and upbeat in stunning aromatics led by black peppercorn, wild herbs, plum and blackberries. Launches into a peppery assault on the palate, rich in flavour intensity, ripe in tannins, finishing long and supple.
90 points, Wine Companion (January 2022)
Beautiful wine. It has so much personality that it’s likely to be polarising, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Sweet nuts, mezcal, cherry plum and woodsmoke, with a suggestion of truffles about the edges. But those truffle notes in any case could well be interpreted as a mix of sweet herbs and roasted nuts, and when combined with peppers and that beautiful, silken fruit, along with superfine tannin, we’re emphatically into high quality territory.
95 points, The Wine Front (March 2022)
Deep vibrant colour and a peppery, vegetal, bunchy bouquet. Earthy root vegetables. Appealing and different, if a far cry from classic Oz shiraz. It's medium-bodied and soft-textured, but the vegetal characters also dominate the taste. It's quite aerial in weight and mouth-feel. Very approachable young and surely has the legs to age.
93 points, The Real Review (February 2022)
Victoria’s first commercial wine was produced in Geelong by Swiss immigrants in 1845. During the mid- 1800’s Geelong was the largest grape-growing region in Victoria with 400 hectares under vine. When phylloxera struck in the 1870s however, the vines were decimated and it was not until the late 1960’s that the area’s vineyards were re-established. Located about 80 km southwest of Melbourne, Geelong has a cool maritime climate with low rainfall and prevalent cool blustery winds that affect flowering and Franceuit set. Soils are diverse, mostly volcanic over limestone with some lesser quality black soils. The region is dotted primarily with family owned wineries producing small quantities of high quality Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Shiraz & Cabernet Sauvignon.
