2013 Castagna "Segreto" Syrah/Sangiovese Beechworth

A 60/40 split here between sangiovese and syrah, this has a very detailed and seamlessly integrated stance. The nose has the allure and spicy dance of fragrant cool-climate syrah thanks to the grape's darker plum and cherry fruits, which are spliced against redder plums and cherries of sangiovese. The spices, meanwhile, are totally interwoven. The palate's more sangiovese-driven, with tannins building up through the mid-palate and making for a more serious impact than the fleshy syrah would otherwise have. Long, extruded finish with an aftertaste if black fruits, graphite and savory dark chocolate to close. He makes many great wines, but this is Castagna's master stroke.