The top gold in Class 23 (Rhone Styles) at this year's Royal Melbourne Wine Show this delicious, affordable and well made cool climate Syrah (from the same team responsible for the Giant Steps wines) as a finalist in the Jimmy Watson Trophy 'taste-off,' won by the Glaetzer Dixon MON PeRE Shiraz 2010 - which is not due to be released until next year.

For our 2009 release, we have renamed this wine Syrah as our style is more closely aligned to the cool peppery style from northern Rhone in France. The fruit for this wine comes from the Yarra Valley and the Pyrenees region in central Victoria. Fruit is hand picked, cold soaked pre-fermentation and undergoes whole berry ferments. GIANT STEPS / INNOCENT BYSTANDER

Strong purple-crimson; generous and vibrant black cherry, plum and blackberry fruit from Victorian vineyards not affected by bushfire smoke taint; juicy, but at the same time has very good structure. Screwcap.  13.7% alc. Rating 93 Drink 2020. JAMES HALLIDAY