Cobaw Ridge Syrah 2024

When Alan and Nelly Cooper planted their first vines in 1985, they weren't just starting a winery – they were pioneers. Nestled 610 meters high in a natural amphitheatre on the northern slopes of the Great Dividing Range, Cobaw Ridge sits in one of Australia's most remarkable vineyard sites.

What makes these wines so extraordinary? It begins with their quiet devotion to listening – really listening – to what the earth and seasons wants to tell them. Fifth-generation farmer Alan and Nelly were practicing low-intervention winemaking decades before it became fashionable, achieving full biodynamic certification in 2011.

Healthy vineyards mean resilient vines requiring almost zero irrigation. High altitudes and north-facing sites provides for superb acidity and freshness in the wines. In the winery, they do the absolute minimum – just gentle crushing, pressing, and racking.

Their Syrah comes off granite soils high up in the Cobaw Ranges, one of the coolest spots in the region. The fruit is hand-picked, fermented with wild yeasts, and aged in large, old oak to keep it clean and savoury. The result is a wine with real presence but no heaviness – dark fruit, spice and a firm, stony edge that speaks of altitude and restraint.

It’s a proper cool-climate Australian Syrah – detailed, structured and made with care rather than fuss.