The Wine Front - 91 Points
Purple and youthful in the glass, this is a juicy and very drinkable Tassie Syrah. Plums, damsons, black olives, ripe black currants and blackberries on the nose with sweet spices like cinnamon and nutmeg joining in on the palate. Around 40% of the fruit has come from 46 year-old vines in the Derwent Valley, Tassie Syrah is not a new fad by any stretch. There’s a bit of wild ferment, a bit of whole bunch, 10 months of 20% new oak and a whole lot of fun. The supple tannins and fresh acidity balance really well with the dark fruits, garrigue, white pepper, pepper berry quince paste and inky violet flavours which make this an eminently smashable cool-climate Syrah.
Winsor Dobbin
Many Tasmanian vineyards are too cool for shiraz to ripen consistently but care and attention in the vineyard and some smart winemaking from Greer Carland have produced a very attractive young Derwent Valley Syrah that's full of the joys of youth and chock-a-block with spicy, peppery characters alongside some vibrant - and very varietal - fruit notes. This is a deliciously poised cool-climate red using a fair swag of older vine fruit. The juice spent 16 days on skins and was maturation in French oak (20% new) for just under 10 months. Medium-bodied with 13% abv, judiciously put together with soft red fruit flavours and supple tannins this is well worth seeking out for anyone who enjoys Tasmanian wines.
Mark Smith
Quiet Mutiny is an exciting project from Greer Carland, formerly of Winemaking Tasmania and now the deft maker of Laurel Bank wines in the Derwent Valley.
Born and raised there, Carland knows the district in intimate detail.
In making this very attractive, fruit-forward Shiraz (aka Syrah), grapes from 40-year-old vines have been given kid-glove treatment to showcase the juicy vibrancy the variety can show in favourable vintages.
Despite its deep, inky colour, the wine is eminently drinkable now, with delicious blackberry, blueberry and white pepper notes all playing in perfect harmony.