Australia is, for me, one of the most exciting wine producing countries in the world. A wonderful mixture of continuous innovation and change, yet home to some of the New Worlds most famous brands that have remained remarkably consistent over the years. Trying to define a ‘typical’ Australian wine now is harder than it’s ever been, with regions as disparate as the baking hot Riverina vs the cool, maritime Tasmania and everything in between. I suppose when it comes to wine exams, you’d still expect to find a couple of cool-moderate climate Chardonnay’s, varietal Semillon, dry Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon blends from Margaret River and Coonawarra and every stripe of Shiraz imaginable. Yet the landscape of Australian wine is so much more complex than this, with swathes of experimental grape varieties dotted along the length of the country, high quality sparkling and fortified wines and of course, a new wave of winemakers shaking things up a little.

Now, I’m not going to pretend that Julian Castagna is part of the ‘new wave’ as he established Castagna in 1996, just outside Beechworth in north-east Victoria. However, he once was. Coming from advertising with only the inspiration of neighbouring estate Giaconda to drive him, he’s gone on to create one of Australia’s greatest, if slightly unknown, wine estates and the first high-quality vineyards in the country that are farmed under biodynamic principles. Alongside his son, Adam, Julian makes a small portfolio of high quality wines in the Mediterranean climate of Beechworth, from sparkling Shiraz to Sangiovese, culminating in their flagship wine, Genesis Syrah.

Whilst the original inspiration to set up in Beechworth was a result of tasting Giaconda’s wines, like many ambitious New World producers, Julian looked at the great wines of France as his model; the Syrah’s of the Northern Rhone specifically. Castagna Genesis Syrah is a blend of Syrah with just a touch of Viognier, which gives the wine perfume and helps stabilise the colour, much like in many classic wines from AOC Côte Rôtie. Unlike most great Côte Rôtie, these wines were made from comparatively young vines; just 10 years of age when the 2006 was made. It’s hard to find too much technical information about the wine, which is slightly odd in Australia where they tend to be incredibly transparent about such things, but the wine was so good it was hard to care. It’s not often that I get to drink truly great wine, but this ranks amongst the very, very best Australian wines I’ve had the privilege to try.

Tasting Note
Mainly Syrah with just a ‘touch’ of Viognier from their own estates in Beechworth, Victoria, farmed using biodynamic viticulture. No information on ageing although I believe it’s been aged in old, French oak. Unfined and unfiltered. 13.5% ABV

Still remarkably deep and consistent in colour for a 12 year old wine, with lovely garnet bricking towards the rim. The aromas leap out of the glass in typical Australian style, yet the complexity is something else entirely. Ripe, dusty plums and blackberries, dried mint, soft leather, nutmeg, black pepper and black olives see this run a real gamut of evolution, yet it feels balanced and complete. Soft, refreshing and very long. Everything is in harmony; I’ve caught this in a perfect moment. A gorgeous, complete Syrah. 97pts

Purchased from Monvinic Store for €72 (on sale)