Rosemount Balmoral Syrah 2001

One of the few 'shiraz' based wines in Australia to go by the name syrah, I suppose in an attempt to suggest this wine's similarity to a French Rhone-style syrah rather than an Australian fruity concoction. I definitely thought this mostly succeeded in that respect.

The nose was creme de Cassis and distinctly floral violets with hints of vanilla. The palate continued the trend but added a brilliant core of acidic minerality and a smoky bacon component, much like a Northern Rhone syrah. However, the character of the cassis was unmistakably Australian, which made for a pretty unique combination. All it was missing was a bit more weight and depth, which could come with either age or a different vintage.

Very Good+
$70 at BCLDB