2021 Diletto Westgate Syrah
96 Points – Sourced from the 1969-planted Westgate vineyard in the Grampians, aged nine months in French barriques (15% new). An auspicious debut for this new label started by Melanie Chester (winemaker at Giant Steps) and Ben Mullen (from Mulline) and their respective partners. A brilliant crimson purple. Geez, this smells good. Aromas of dark fruits, lavender, graphite, a little olive tapenade and garrigues. Textured with velvety, persistent tannins and bright acidity. A delicious wine, that while hard to keep your hands off even now, will reward at least a decade in the cellar.” Philip Rich (Halliday Wine Companion) 6/07/23
96 Points – Mel Chester, Ben Mullen, Chris Crawford and Ben Hine have combined to create a wine brand, in wine quality terms, that was never going to do anything other than excel. This was grown on a 1969-planted vineyard in the Grampians region. The smell of this wine is quite sublime. So too the taste. There’s a sweet modesty to the fruit, combined with a plushness, though for all it’s cherry-plummed goodness its strewn with flavours of Mezcal, cloves, graphite and peppered olives, not to mention sweet cedar and general fragrant herbs. There’s both finesse and control to the tannin, and beautiful, even-tempered, satisfying length. This is really quite something. It’s terrific.” Campbell Mattinson (The Winefront) 6/09/23