And now we welcome a Soumah Yarra Syrah (with the bottle image from last year, sorry).

That flicker of cranberry ham marks this as proper Syrah, not just another Shiraz. A medium-bodied Syrah with vanilla oak makes its presence known on what is otherwise a mid-weight red. Slightly sweet and sour, not obviously seductive, but a substantial drink representing who and what it is. I like it.

THE VERDICT

• Best drinking: now and for up to a decade
• Score (out of 20): 17.7
• Score (out of 100): 92
• Alcohol %: 13.5
• RRP (in $AUD): 40
• Winery website: https://soumah.com.au/
• Would I buy it?: worth a few glasses