Single Vineyard 'Iluma' Syrah 2022

Winemaker: Erinn Klein

Grape(s): Syrah (Shiraz)

GI: Adelaide Hills (Mount Lofty Ranges, South Australia)

Site(s): Iluma Vineyard

Vintage notes: Vintage 2022 was set up by a milder spring and summer with no severe heat spikes or extended hotter periods. Spring and early summer were wetter than usual resulting it good soil moisture and thus requiring only minimal irrigation just before picking.

Flowering and set were good, if we don’t compare them to the dream conditions we had for the 2021 vintage! We had a few disease challenges with warm, wet weather, particularly one event where the vines had wet leaves for three days around the 10th of January. Our vine health was good and therefore resilient to these challenging few days.

Finally, a long and slow ripening with cool conditions over harvest produced great delicate wines across all varieties.

Vineyard notes: On the northern slope of the Mount Barker Summit, at an altitude of 420m, is the Iluma Vineyard, home of Ngeringa’s most inspiring and exciting grapes we grow. The majority of Ngeringa Syrah and Viognier is planted in the Iluma vineyard, facing west on lean, textured soil of micaceous schist and ironstone over clay. The Iluma vineyard is also long certified biodynamic with no chemical sprays applied.

Winemaking: The Syrah is gently hand harvested into small 15kg crates and mostly destemmed into small batch fermenters, with a small quantity of whole bunches placed in the bottom of each fermenter. The grapes were gently plunged by hand or feet, up to twice a day, for a long extraction over three to four weeks. This Syrah was pressed into new (40%) French oak barriques (228L) and Puncheons (500L) and left in barrel to mature for 18 months.  A small dose of sulfur was added at blending, prior to bottling. No Added yeast, no enzymes, no fining, no filtration.

Tasting note: The vibrant aromas of this Syrah announce themselves as soon as you begin pouring the wine into your glass. Generous aromas of dark brooding fruit, bramble, aniseed, licorice all-sorts and musk. Velvety tannins, add an element of lusciousness to the savoury palate, and moreish length. Potential to age well into the next decade. This wine will reward a few minutes in the glass or decanting before drinking.

Closure: High quality composite cork that is cork-taint free guaranteed.

ABV: 13.8%

Label Design: Ngeringa bases its branding and imagery on its relationship with the land: The logo makes the shape of Mount Barker Summit and the icon, in a circle, makes reference to the full moon and to the biodynamic practice of working with the rhythms of nature. The sheoak sits inside the circle, reflecting the name, Ngeringa, the place of sheoak. Each bottle is individually numbered.

Production size: 262 six packs

Reviews:

"Quite surprisingly dark fruited, black plum, cherry, cola, coffee and biltong going on, with some chinotto, charred orange and brambly, woody herbs in the mix. Chewy texture, chompy tannins, pucker and a groove to the feel. It’s savoury and satisfying, brooding and deep. Syrah? Maybe, but more in the dry red and elemental space it feels, but does so well. Great drinking in its woody, firm, bold way."

94 Points

Mike Bennie, The Wine Front

"An excellent follow-on from the 2021 reviewed last year, this is more immediately appealing, more enticing at the same age. A generous sprinkling of spice, delicious and attractive. Lively, macerated red-berry flavours, a touch of dried herb, elegant, fine-boned, juicy in the mouth, with long, powdery tannins."

18 Points

Max Allen, Jancis Robinson.com (full article here)