The fruit for the Michael Hall ‘Flaxman’s Valley’ Syrah (a more floral Shiraz, a nod to Northern Rhône, hence ‘Syrah’) comes from the Naimanya Vineyard, which lies on the south-western lee of the tiny subregion of the Eden Valley called Flaxman’s Valley.

 

This impeccable fruit is grown by Leon and Christa Deans and I’ll always be grateful to Kym Teusner for introducing me and sacrificing his claim to the grapes. North-west facing at 525 metres, it’s one of the highest Shiraz vineyards in the Eden Valley, the wider Barossa region and indeed South Australia. This combined with the soil profile of sandy loam, gravel and quartz over clay make for characteristic spice and floral aromatics.