Syrahmi

Australia

About

Syrahmi is the creation of Adam Foster, a winemaker whose unadulterated passion for wine came from the early days working shifts at Walters Wine Bar, where he concentrated his efforts particularly on French and Australian Rhône styles. Foster's journey into winemaking was unconventional—he didn't study viticulture, marketing, or communications but has a natural instinct for all three, with his original training as a chef providing him with a highly trained palate and an understanding of flavours and combinations developed "in the trenches" with the best. His aim has always been to express the true terroir of the vineyard and vintage, and along the way he has learnt that great success can be achieved through minimal human intervention in the winemaking process and by simply putting trust in Mother Nature, selecting the finest quality fruit from the region and doing as little as possible to it. The grapes for Syrahmi Shiraz are sourced and selected from a single vineyard site each year but not necessarily the same vineyard, with all of the Shiraz that comes into the winery from the selected vineyards handled individually right up until the final selection process where each puncheon and foudre is graded and then selected for either Syrahmi, Demi, and in some years La La. Syrahmi and La La are always single clone, single vineyard wines, whilst Demi is a blend made up of multiple clones and vineyards, showcasing Foster's meticulous approach to expressing the unique character of each site.

Regions

Heathcote

History

Adam Foster has always had an interest in food and wine, and whilst spending many of his years completing a chef's apprenticeship and working in some of Victoria and London's best kitchens, he also maintained an interest in front of house activities—particularly the cellars and wine lists. In 2002, Foster decided to give up "chefing" to immerse himself in the winemaking process, and since then his experience in the industry has been quite diverse and somewhat unconventional. He had the privilege of working with some of what he considers to be the most outstanding wineries in Australia and France such as Torbreck, Chapoutier, Mitchelton, Heathcote Winery, Domaine Ogier, and Jasper Hill, with extensive travels throughout Europe learning and discovering some of the most outstanding regions and labels firsthand. With the guidance and support of people such as Ron Laughton, Don Lewis, Stéphane Ogier, Jono Mepham, and Pierre Gaillard, Foster released his first vintage of Heathcote Shiraz in 2004 with only 100 cases. Nicknamed L'Imposter by the French, he's been learning the tricks of Syrah in situ and applying all the know-how to his Australian winemaking projects, Syrahmi and The Garden of Earthly Delights, with Foster winning the 2008/2009 YGOWA People's Choice champion. When not making wine, he's consulting to restaurants and making a tonne of salami, bringing his culinary background full circle to complement his winemaking philosophy of minimal intervention and maximum expression of terroir.