2023 Frankland Estate Smith Cullam Syrah

97 Points - James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion

“The pinnacle of syrah and made in the best vintages, in honour of Barry Smith and Judi Cullam, who planted the Isolation Ridge vineyard in '88. Made from small parcels off the original Winery Block. What a glorious wine. So perfumed and beguiling, a perfect amalgam of flavours, nothing dominating - neither fruit nor winemaking. The palate is medium bodied, beautifully composed with raw silk tannins and lithe acidity. A joy to behold, a joy to drink. Closure: Screw cap. 13.5% alcohol. (Drink by 2038)”

97 Points - Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate

“The 2023 Smith Cullam Syrah is a bloody, seamless, grainy, effortless feeling Shiraz wine from Frankland River. The tannins are sensational: chewy and yet ultra fine, all crushed rocks, gravel, ironstone and ferrous notes. This has flowers and exotic spice in profusion and is a masterclass is sophistication. Very young right now, this is already irresistibly fine and succulent. It is saturated in flavor yet contained and lean. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.”

96 Points - Gary Walsh, The Wine Front

“100% from the old Winery Block, planted in 1988. 100% Shiraz. Blueberry, blackberry, lavender, cracked pepper and grilled meat, toasted nuts, aromatic, yet kind of sultry. It's medium to full-bodied, dense, packed with dark fruit, a thick seam of coal dust tannin, ferrous and dark, and yet it flashes and crackles with perfume, spice, and deep Shiraz character, and finishes long and saline with dark cherry, black olive and thyme fragrance. Textbook Frankland River Shiraz, with a little tip of the hat to the Northern Rhone. (Drink between 2026-2036)”

92 Points - Huon Hooke, The Real Review