Salomon Estate Syrah Viognier 2020

Salomon Estate's Wildflower is a Syrah co-fermented with a small parcel of Viognier in the Northern Rhône tradition, grown on gravel, glacial sand and red-and-orange clay in the Finniss River Valley, where afternoon winds off the Southern Ocean cool the vineyard through the day. Harvested in March 2020, the grapes were fermented together in open fermenters for 12 days, then aged 14 months in 300-litre French oak hogsheads (around 10% new). It shows an opaque core into a deep ruby rim, a fragrant nose of violets, raspberries and white pepper, with the florals and bright fruit carrying through to a medium-bodied palate over savoury iodine and blood-sausage notes, powdery tannins and a spritz of acidity, finishing long.

Bert Salomon comes from an Austrian winemaking family, Salomon Undhof, known for riesling and grüner veltliner in the Kremstal region near Vienna. He was the first to import Penfolds into Austria back in the 1980s, and later ran the Austrian Wine Bureau. He planted Salomon Estate on the Finniss River, on the northern rim of the Fleurieu Peninsula, a forested range away from McLaren Vale.

It has long-term cellaring potential, but there's no need to wait it out. One retailer calls it "Shiraz for Shiraz lovers," built to enjoy now as much as later.