My potential distributor gave me a wine he thought I’d enjoy - the Lambert 2021 Syrah Yarra Valley. Said it was the closest to a nice Cote Rotie he’d come in years.
Luke Lambert is a younger generation of Australian winemakers (from what I’ve gleaned) and you can tell the influences are squarely in the Old World. Australia, much like anywhere in the New World, has really turned a corner towards elegance and less extraction in the last few years (mainly anecdotal, but this seems to prove the point). I think Australia kicks everyone’s butt in dry Riesling, so it’s nice to hear they’re bringing their own stable horse, Shireeeez, back into the elegant realm again.
Anyway, this is very, very nice. Chalky tannins, restrained, elegant, earthy. But what’s surprising, despite being so young, it drinks very nicely straight out of the gate. No oak note - or if there is one - it’s imperceptibly integrated. Really gets magical after about 30 min in the decanter and tannins resolve beautifully. You’d never pin this for New World in a blind, I think. And for me, this is a 94-95pts wine. Think it’s about $45 in the US, and it’s a steal at that price.
A few retailers in the USA carry it, from $45-60 or so.
Even though it’s not a lot, I’m glad to hear it. I’ve gotten frustrated with the “in Australia, we make all these balanced shiraz but we just don’t export any of it to you,” and hopefully that will start to change.
I get that it’s a bit chicken or the egg, but at the end of the day, how do American consumers come to know and to desire new wave Aussie shiraz, and express demand for it, if almost none of it is for sale here?
The other tasting note today about Vincent Paris Granit 60, those two wines at about the same price would make an interesting side by side tasting.
Lambert Nebb is worth a run as well (though none produced this vintage), though Aussie Nebb doesn’t quite hit like a Barolo, but then neither does the price. Luke’s stuff tends to disappear here in Oz given it’s a fairly small make, so interesting it’s landed on the other side of the globe.
Coincidentally, landed on these forums that I haven’t frequented often as I try and expand my global wine knowledge. Should probably follow Jeremy Holmes as probably one of the most prolific Aussie posters.