Syrah No Place Like Home, Minimalist Wines 2023

The 2023 No Place Like Home, Syrah from Elgin from four different soil types with 35% whole bunch. It has a beautifully defined nose with more mineral-driven black fruit with veins of cassis, becoming increasingly floral with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with impressive precision, a little more citrus-like style, bright and focused with a touch of graphite towards the sustained finish. Perhaps the best of Sam Lambson's '23s.

It may have been a hard vintage, but damn, this is beautiful. Soaring, floral, sweet and salty and saturated with blood and juice and pulse and thrum. Bacon and cello. Tannins like rose petals. Rose harissa and baharat. Dark cherry and damson fruit. Soaring and glorious. A triumph. (TC) 2024 – 2035

This feels like the Goldilocks of the Minimalist range that will have the broadest appeal yet still keeps a distinct character. Mid ruby in the glass, the nose is fragrant and appetising, with pressed flowers, dried woody herbs and oodles of crunchy red fruit. Lacy tannins are unobtrusive to the fruit core on the palate, giving a satiny texture that retains crunch from bright acids. There is a pure amaro quality to this wine - campari and bitter orange peel - it's almost like a negroni. With air, however, this melts into spicy wholebunch, pristine fruit and white pepper. This is benchmark cool climate Syrah that again has real personality. Drink over the coming 10-12 years.