The 2019 Pooley JRD Syrah is an exceptionally rare and distinctive cool-climate Syrah from the Cooinda Vale Vineyard in Tasmania’s Coal River Valley. JRD sits at the pinnacle of Pooley’s range and takes its name from John R. D. Pooley, recognising his contribution to the family estate. The Syrah vines at Cooinda Vale were planted in 1999, and fruit from this same small block contributed to the Glaetzer-Dixon Mon Père Shiraz that won the prestigious Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy in 2011. JRD is produced only in exceptional years and in extremely limited quantities.
On the palate, the 2019 is silky, savoury and beautifully complex, showing boysenberry and cool dark fruits alongside violet, rose, blood orange and pepperberry. Layers of shiitake mushroom, truffle, cardamom and earthy spice add complexity, while chalky acidity and graphite-like tannins provide freshness, structure and length. The wine was wild fermented with 15% whole bunches before spending 10 months in French oak barriques, approximately 33% new, creating a refined expression of Syrah where perfume and savoury complexity take precedence over sheer power.
