From vines dating to 1974, this 2021 Syrah was made with 100% whole bunches (grapes + stems!), which gives it a wonderful interplay of florals, spices and fruit. Black and blue fruits, liquorice, bacon fat, jasmine and violets on full display. Silky, perfumed and evocative, it's a wonderful wine, filled with detail and enjoyment. Use big glasses and drink it all in.

Gerald and Sue Ellis picked the first grapes from their large vineyard at the top end of the Derwent River in 1976, having planted the vines in '74. It was a labour of love, and a calculated risk, there being only a handful of wineries in the region at the time. They made their wines at the neighbouring winery, Frogmore Creek, who eventually purchased the Meadowbank cellar door, leaving the Ellis's to focus on growing grapes. Enter rising star winemaker Peter Dredge, a South Australian who did time at Petaluma before moving to Tasmania. Dredge, having been intimately associated with the vineyard for six years, formed a partnership with the now extended Ellis family (Gerald, Sue, daughter Mardi and her husband, Alex Dean) to relaunch Meadowbank. With old vines, quality winemaking and a families commitment to a special site, the future of Meadowbank seems assured. Exciting times.