EVANGELINE* Eden Valley Syrah 2023

Winemakers: Daniel Chaffey Hartwig + Theo Engela + Huon Fechner
Varietal: Syrah
Region: Eden Valley
Alc/Vol: 13.9%
pH: 3.5
Acidity: 5.9
Bottle size: 750 mL

2023

90pts + GOLD "Rich, full-bodied wine with dark damson, cassis, and menthol notes, balanced tannins, fresh acidity, and a long, poised finish" - London International Wine Competition 2026

SILVER Medal - Syrah Du Monde

92+ pts "Medium-deep crimson in the glass. Aromas of blackberry, blueberry and damson plum with hints of crushed herbs, sarsaparilla, dark chocolate, peppercorn, barrel spice, choc-mint and earth. Fruit-pure and layered with spice and a light herbal nuance, pillowy tannins, bright cherry-skin acidity and a medium-length finish." - Dave Brookes, James Halliday Wine Companion

92pts - The Wine Enthusiast

92pts "The expressive 2023 Shiraz Evangeline delivers beautiful aromas of lavender, blackberry and dark cherry that are seamless and refined. This has good power and tension in a well-composed, elegant and detailed palate through to a fine finish" - Angas Hughson, Vinous

93pts "Bright plummy red in the glass. There's really pretty and lifted aromas of blueberry, pot-pourri, dried herbs, sarsaparilla, fruit pastille, white pepper, sweet oak and spice. Fleshy, blue fruited, tangy satsuma plum and cool fruited, with a cool menthol edge and a decent lick of shapely tannin. The acidity is perky and snappy and the length is impressive" - Aaron Brasher, The Real Review

92pts "Spicy and floral aromas of dark cherries, violets, blackcurrants, coffee beans and Asian spices. The palate is plush and rounded, with silky tannins and a tactile texture. A classic Eden with lift and perfume. Delicious" - James Suckling Reviews

92pts "Those of us who immediately thought of The Band and their terrific song, ‘Evangeline’ (who could forget the version from The Last Waltz?), are off the mark. Apparently, the name encompasses references to life, death, Jesus and resurrection (which seems like an enormous amount to place on the shoulders of a single wine). No matter, it is a most enjoyable effort, whatever the reason. Dark crimson hue, there is a pleasing degree of oak integration, with notes of dry herbs, mulberries, raspberries and aniseed on the nose. There is good focus, fine acidity and sleek tannins here, making for a most attractive red, but it probably needs a little more length if it wants to go to the next level. That said, lots to like" - 2025 The Vintage Journal Barossa Guide

2022

95pts + 5 stars "The wine combines richness with elegance, showing perfumed aromas of blackberry, dried herb, cured meat, clove, and nutmeg. The palate offers excellent weight, a plump mouthfeel, and a silky texture, wonderfully framed by layers of fine-grained tannins, making it robust with a long, satisfying finish" - Sam Kim, The Wine Orbit

94pts + SILVER "Single vineyard; 15% whole bunch, 15% new French oak. Pure, plummy fruits with some blueberry lift and hints of five-spice, sage, citrus blossom, blueberry pie, peppercorn, vanillin oak and panforte. It's a lovely contemporary Eden Valley shiraz this. Expressive and finely structured with a real pep to its travel across the palate" - Dave Brookes, James Halliday Wine Companion

93pts "A very loud, lifted perfume shows familiar cool climate Eden Valley characteristics of violets and bright purple fruit. The slimline palate is more controlled, showing modest blueberry over blackberry and some sunny ripe plum in a plush mid-palate that persists and lingers until the soft-grained tannins guide it down to gentle landing" - David Sly, Decanter

93pts "There was me thinking that we had a wine named in tribute to The Band and that great song of theirs, 'Evangeline' (anyone who has not seen The Last Waltz-surely the greatest concert film of all time - needs to move it top of their bucket list immediately). Apparently not so. Rather, it is a Biblical reference to salvation. Well, The Band did play with Dylan for so many years, so perhaps we are somewhere halfway. However one wants to interpret this, it is a heavenly red. And it has a serious pedigree, with the previous vintage winning Decanter Magazine's Best in Show. 490 dozen. This is a vibrant magenta colour with a rather savoury nose. There are earthy notes, along with black fruits, leather, beef stock, soy and cloves. Seamless in style with fine acidity and satiny tannins, there is impressive length. Good intensity throughout and yet it retains a degree of elegance, this is a wine with a very promising future. It should provide pleasure for the best part of a decade" - SA Wine Guide

92pts "Full vibrant ruby red colour. Blueberry, white pepper and bayleaf aromas. Medium bodied, vibrant and lively with blue fruits and raspberry along with pepper spices and herbal notes. Tannins are finely wrought, a lift of acid gives it another layer and it carries to a good long finish. Quite delicious drinking" - Stuart Knox, The Real Review

90pts "A juicy, fruit-driven and mellow syrah with dark cherries, plums and baking spices on the nose, following through to a medium body with melty tannins. Dense and generously fruited, with a juicy finish" - James Suckling Reviews

2021

97pts + BEST IN SHOW "This is only the second Eden Valley Shiraz to fight its way to our Best In Show selection, and its emphatic, show-stopping character underlines how well this slightly higher-altitude zone is suited to South Australia’s favourite red variety. The wine’s opaque black-red colour tells us that generosity is on the menu, and the first sniff shows that not only is its black-cherry-and-plum fruit prodigiously aromatic, but also that the wine has had more than a year in oak. The plunging fruit – blackberry and blackcurrant – dominates the palate with the oak providing a little extra upholstery; and there’s a haunting citrus-and-lavender perfume on the palate, too, which does as much to structure the wine as the ample, gentle tannins and the curranty acidity. It’s an enjoyable and stylish wine which won’t require a long wait." - Decanter World Wine Awards 2024

95pts "Smoky complexities to sniff, a mixture of smoked charcuterie/spicy cool-climate fruit and charry oak, nice rich fruit in there. Very appealing wine; fleshy and concentrated but elegant. (Best in Show and Platinum medal, Decanter World Wine Awards 2024)" - Huon Hooke, The Real Review

94pts + SILVER "Single-vineyard Eden Valley Syrah sourced from the Noack family property in Springton at 410m elevation. Plummy and pure with layers of spice, sage, liquorice, blueberry pie, violets, pepper, vanillin oak and merest whiff of mint. There is a graceful air to the fruit passage across the palate, tannins, fine but tensing on the mid-palate with a purple floral flourish on the exit." - Dave Brookes, James Halliday Wine Companion (Halliday's Cellaring Selection)

93pts "Maple smoked bacon, maraschino cherries and raspberry aromas lead into a plush and ripe core. Acidity invigorates the dense flavours with a frame of tannins wrapped around the ripe fruit. It's nicely balanced, offering a ripe expression with composure and nuance. This will age nicely" - Gabrielle Poy, The Real Review

SILVER Medal - Global Syrah Masters 2023, The Drinks Business

SILVER Medal - Royal Adelaide Wine Show

Top 100 Reds 2024 (92pts) - Ray Jordan

2020

95pts "Deep ruby with violet edges. The aroma is fragrant and lifted, showing dark cherry, cracked pepper and subtle floral notes. The palate is medium-bodied and finely structured, combining spice with elegant fruit weight. Tannins are fine and silky, and hints of violet and white pepper continue to evolve with air. The finish is long and savoury. A refined Syrah with poise and aromatic complexity, showcasing Eden Valley elegance." - Vinomasters

94pts + SILVER "A single-vineyard Eden Valley syrah sourced from the Noack family property in Springton at 410m elevation; matured 18 months in French oak puncheons and hogsheads. Abundant ripe plums and summer berry fruits, cut through with fine spice, blueberries with a whiff of vanilla and subtle, sexy French oak. There's a lovely fruit flow, some nice cool-climate crunch and a cascade of fine tannin for support. A lot to like here." - Dave Brookes, Halliday

93pts "Serious and cool EV Shiraz. Soaking plums, darker cassis, pencilly and vanilla oak influence (in a good way), cracked peppercorns and just a little leafy kitchen herb. Mid to full bodied with lovely flow and glide to the palate. Peering focus, narrowed eye slits drawing on purple and red fruits, nuanced with cool pepper and neatly etched tannins. Calm and serene" - Regan Drew, Vino Notebook

93pts "Lifted, vibrant, youthfut ripe, so pure and bright. Ripe berry fruit flavours with a touch of spice. This wine has layers of complexity with savoury nuances. Will improve with time" - Decanter (Barossa Shiraz article)

91pts "Five years old and enjoying that moment where some bottle development and age is starting to reveal itself. Savoury earth and leather notes move in tandem with dark plum, blue fruits, and spice-filled aromas. The palate is svelte yet plush with good structure in place, something to build a future on. A different expression of Shiraz, hence, the choice of Syrah as a descriptor with red and blue fruits, dark stewed plums, earth, chocolate and spice finishing tight and firm with distinctive Aussie bush, black pepper notes that lift the wine, adding to its inviting charm" - Jeni Port, Winepilot

91pts "This has aromas of dried violets, blackcurrants, cracked pepper and sage. Fresh and bright with savory and peppery layers. Medium-bodied. All nicely wrapped up in firm, fine tannins" - James Suckling Reviews

90pts + SILVER - Decanter WWA 2023

2019

95pts + GOLD - Adelaide Wine Show

No. 6, Top 10 Full Bodied Red - Drink Easy Awards 2021

93pts "It’s always good, always reliable. This 2019 release is as good as any previous, maybe even better. It’s just so juicy. Just so perfumed. Just so enjoyable. Blueberry, boysenberry, plum and clove notes meet mint, sweet spice and woodsmoke. There’s a clear jellied/jubey aspect but there’s also a good reach of tannin, with the length to match. It’s both warm and fresh-faced at once; it’s in excellent order." - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front

92pts "Seriously darkly fruited with big thrusts of peppercorn, crushed sage leaf, shaved dark chocolate, fresh mint leaf, meaty stock cube paste, nori sheet and licorice. Smooth and silky palate. Undeniably full bodied but without any corpulence. Tannins grip fuzzily through a great length and a sharp coda of acidity. Quality Syrah." - Regan Drew, Vino Notebook

91/100 "Aromas of blue fruits, red cherry, spice and a cool menthol lift. Flavours are mid to full-bodied, the fleshy, generous blueberry and dark cherry fruit flavours are round and layered, with plenty of tannin and acid-derived structure. A well-made, soft, juicy, round and very drinkable wine." - Aaron Brasher, The Real Review

90pts + SILVER "Classic nuances of mint and eucalyptus lead to a beguiling juicy palate - blackberry, liquorice and a hint of black olive." - IWC 2022

2018

92pts "Spice, liquorice, black fruit, sage and mint. Medium-bodied, red and black fruit, fresh, light tannin, lively, good finish. Easy to like. Affable and regional." - Gary Walsh, Winefront

2016

95/100 "Fresh plum, dry spice and dried banana-like aromas, fruit-driven and fresh, with some Rhône-ish notes. The palate has linearity and fleshy concentration, with ample soft tannins and refreshing acidity. A very appealing wine, the texture being a highlight. It drinks superbly already. (single site Droegemueller Rd vineyard, Springton)" - Huon Hooke

93/100 "It might be Eden Valley but using syrah on the label might raise an eyebrow. What's not in question is its drinkability. A fruit basket of berries, a raft of spices, it's juicy and so vibrant. It has tannins and acidity to ensure it'll age but gee, it's too good to wait for, so pour away." - Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion

92pts "Rich, ripe blackberry with plenty of spice and well-knit, savory elements. A rich, blackberry palate with supple, even tannins. Very approachable now. Screw cap." - James Suckling Reviews

92/100 "The Eden Valley and shiraz/syrah. A match made in heaven. Aromatic, spicy, floral, almost peppery. It doesn’t jump out of its skin but it does stand up to say hello. Plums, toast, roasted peppercorns, nuts. It unfolds as it breathes. It’s mid weight in a good way. Complex but not challenging or in-your-face. Drinkable and accessible and yet inscribed with fine tannin. The pitch, just right." - Campbell Mattinson, Winefront

2015

95/100 "Deepish red/purple hue, with a lifted floral aroma, clean and fresh and aromatic. The palate is similar, not big or heavy but intense and spicy, red-fruited and elegant, and finishing long on the aftertaste, with abundant firm tannins. There's lovely fruit-sweetness in the middle and a certain raspberry jam Eden Valley signature. Excellent." - Huon Hooke

92pts "Char-grilled pepper steak, black fruits and boot polish, a whiff of dried herb. Medium bodied, meaty and savoury, with pastille and prune, grainy tannin, a slight angularity to the palate with an almost ‘metallic’ feel, though not in a bad way, I’d add, and a spicy red and black fruited finish. A wilder more bunchy style of Barossa Shiraz, but pretty nicely done." - Campbell Mattinson, Winefront

93/100 "The flavour profile is sweeter than the word 'syrah' might imply but the wine's quality is never in doubt. Flavours of port wine jelly, pure plum, sweet raspberry and assorted dry/twiggy spices fill out the palate well; nutty tannin then completes the picture perfectly. Throughout the wine feels fluid and supple, making it a pleasure to spend time with." - Campbell Mattinson, Halliday

2014

92/100 "Red berries, boysenberries, spice and violets. It has some blackberried or at least plummy depth but the wine's sheer drinkability is conjured with soft fingers of highly accessible flavour. It has the acid/tannin structure to age, and the balance, but it's hard to find a good reason not to tuck in right now." - Campbell Mattinson, Halliday