What was once an affectation now has real meaning, as a host of lean, spicy Syrahs come out of recent La Niña-influenced vintages. Above, Erinn Klein examines Syrah grapes at Ngeringa, whose Summit vineyard was awarded Vineyard of the Year at the 2024 Young Gun of Wine Awards in Melbourne last month.
Between 2020 and 2023, winegrowers across the south-east of Australia experienced a string of cool, late, La Niña-influenced vintages. At the time, these growing seasons were seen as a challenge – not least because they coincided with pandemic lockdowns and flooding rains in many regions. But now that...