NOTES

Luke Lambert started into wine to combine two areas of interest: drinking and science. He went to Wagga to learn the tricks, looked around for a region to make the wines he liked to drink and settled on the Yarra, working at Diamond Valley, Coldstream Hills and now for Melbourne lawyer Justin Fahey at Maddens Lane. He struck up a rapport with the owner of Rising Vineyard; a place he figured could make savoury, fragrant Shiraz, modeled on the stuff he likes to drink. Nebbiolo was the other grape that caught his eye. Lambert sources his nebbiolo from Heathcote and has plantings underway that will provide a Yarra version from 2009. There’s also a 2007 vintage reserve Shiraz in barrel, fermented as 100 per cent whole bunches. It’s guaranteed to get the neighbours talking.

TASTING NOTES

Amazing wine in so many ways this one. The bugger had been open for four days and hardly looked tired at all. The fruit is hand picked from the St Andrews vineyard, fermented with indigenous yeasts including 40% whole bunch action and then held on skins for 38 days. It is raised in puncheons (500L) for ten months and is neither fined nor filtered. It reminds me more than a little of Tyrrells 4 Acre if you are familiar with that particular wine.

Lurid bright red purple in colour and highly fragrant with red fruits and cherries, pepper, gravel, violet and a little spicy vanilla oak. On the palate light to medium bodied with bright sappy red fruits, spice and meaty flavours with some vanilla oak. Lithe and energetic with very lively tangy acid and a fine chalky tannic grip. Light and airy - it feels as much like Pinot (or Chianti perhaps) as anything else. Finishes dry with perfumed red fruits to close. I am betting this is going to be magic with extended cellaring and I’m going to grab a couple of bottles just so I can prove myself right.12.6% Alc  93+ Points, Gary Walsh, Winorama

Luke Lambert's other wine is a Heathcote nebbiolo and it's a cracker, but boy, so is this syrah. A terrific shiraz that's restrained yet full of ripe, vibrant fruit with a savoury line straight through, cherry pips, earthy too. Some good funk and textural elements, tangy on the palate. Jane Faulkner, The Age