REGION / McLaren Vale

VARIETAL / 100% Syrah

ABV / 14%

WINEMAKER / Scott Rawlinson

TASTING PROFILE & THE KEY REVIEW / The Governor is our flagship Syrah. Deep purple in colour, it is dense, rich and beautifully focused. On the palate a lavish mouthful of blueberry, blackberry, licorice and pepper flavours balance deftly with vibrant acidity and fine tannins, leading to a long multi-layered finish.

“The polished, refined 2002 Syrah The Governor reveals a deep ruby/purple colour along with sweet notes of toasty vanillin oak as well as abundant quantities of black raspberry, cassis, licorice and smoke characteristics.. A dense, medium to full-bodied, elegant and beautifully concentrated Syrah.” Robert Parker, 2005

VINTAGE REPORT / The 2002 vintage in McLaren Vale was considered outstanding for Syrah, despite the coolest summer on record causing lower than average yields. The warm autumn allowed for perfect fruit ripening with intense colour and flavours evident. Early indications were very promising, with excellent flavours, structured tannins and natural acidity making for well-balanced wines with excellent ageing potential.

WINEMAKING / Winemaking is very traditional and labour intensive. Small batch fermentation took place in open top fermenters, following which the wine was matured for a period of 18 months in a selection of the best French and American oak. It was neither fined nor filtered so that the integrity and depth of flavour could be maintained.

HERITAGE / All fruit for The Governor comes from a single block on our family-owned 64-acre vineyard, located in the southern foothills of the McLaren Vale region. Our proximity to the ocean (situated just 2km away from the coast of the Gulf St Vincent) allows our vines to benefit from cooling sea breezes that temper the heat of our Mediterranean climate.

The Governor block is located at the top of our vineyard, where poor soil and a high clay content combine to limit water retention and allow moisture levels to be controlled through drip irrigation. These are the perfect conditions for the production of top quality Syrah, creating fruit undiluted by water – small and incredibly intense in flavour.

  • Blue Gold Medal / Sydney International Wine Show 06
  • Gold Medal  / Royal Melbourne Wine Show 03
  • Gold Medal / Asian Wine Challenge 03