Description
“The sheer quality of the wines he makes is equalled only by his consistency” James Halliday.
BEST VALUE WINERY OF THE YEAR IN JAMES HALLIDAY’S AUSTRALIAN WINE COMPANION 2020
When I met winemaker Bruce Dukes from Domaine Naturaliste I was bowled over by how striking every wine was that I tasted in his lineup … A rare occurrence when you’re tasting wines every day.
The success did not happen by accident. He has an intimate knowledge of all the terroirs of Margaret River after spending 25 years honing his craft with leading Margaret River producers such as Pierro wines. He is a trained agronomist and has a Masters in viticulture and Oenology from U.C. Davis … he also worked for 4 years at Neibaum Coppola in Napa, USA. Bruce seeks freshness of fruit, perfume, texture, overall balance, restraint with low to moderate alcohol in all his beautiful wines. Domaine Naturaliste is named after the northern most Cape of Margaret River, Cape Naturaliste, where the winery is situated. Minuscule production of top shelf wines across the board.
“Margaret River Syrah is noteworthy because of its fragrance and attractiveness in it’s youth. Aromas of juicy black cherries and boysenberries with a grind of black pepper. The palate possesses a fine grained texture comprising of ripe tannin which adds to the structure and depth of the wine.” Bruce Dukes, Winemaker.
About this vintage from the winemaker: “The 2022 to 2023 growing season in Margaret River was one of the highlights in my 33 years of winemaking. Gentle and sustained sunny days provided fruit characterized by intense aromatics, coating natural acidity, and ultrafine tannin and tension.
“Syrah is picked at moderate ripeness to retain elegance and natural acidity. Whole berries are cool fermented atop whole bunches (25%) at 20 to 22 oC resulting in a subtle aromatic lift and introducing a wilder spice element to the otherwise pure Syrah perfume. A cool climate, medium bodied and balanced Syrah.
“Aged on fine lees in 500L large format French oak puncheons, 15% of which were new, for 10 months. Oak was sourced mainly from the Allier and Vosges forests.
“Aromas of juicy black cherries and boysenberries with a grind of black pepper. The palate possesses a fine grained texture comprising of ripe tannin which adds to the structure and depth of the wine.” Bruce Dukes
93 points, Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion “Highly appealing from first sniff. Lovely aromatics – all pepper and spice, red fruits with mint and licorice. While good fruit is at its heart, this is deliciously savoury with some charcuterie/salami coming through. The tannins are textural and a little grainy, the palate fuller bodied but not heavy, and there’s good acidity throughout.”
RRP $32 *Our Special Price $24.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine.
