Murdoch Hill Orion Oakbank Syrah 2023

Written By Campbell Mattinson
Mattinson review of Murdoch Hill Orion Oakbank Syrah 2022.

Murdoch Hill Orion Oakbank Syrah 2023
$93, 13.5% alcohol, screwcap, Adelaide Hills

The 2022 release of Murdoch Hill Orion Oakbank Syrah was – unofficially – my Australian Shiraz of the year. Murdoch Hill has also been classified as a Mattinson 10-Star Winery.

This release of 2023 Murdoch Hill Orion Oakbank Syrah is every bit as good as the 2022. It’s savoury and cool and yet it’s also commanding. Blueberry and black cherry characters are thoroughly infused with sichuan pepper, mescal, woodsmoke and cedar, though it’s the combination of fine-but-meaty tannin, inherent fruit power, and extreme length that really sets the quality soaring. This wine needs at least another 3-4 years in the bottle to really clear its throat, but it’s another belter of a wine from Murdoch Hill. 96+ points.

Campbell Mattinson

This article was written by Campbell Mattinson, former chief editor of the Halliday Wine Companion book, former editor of Halliday magazine, former editor of Australian Sommelier Magazine and founder of the highly respected The Winefront site.

Mattinson has been an independent wine critic and photo-journalist since 1987. He’s the only Australian to have won the Australian Wine Communicator of the Year Award more than once. He’s a past winner of a Louis Roederer International Wine Media Award; is the author of the award-winning book The Wine Hunter; and is the author of the best-selling novel We Were Not Men. He’s also a winner of a St Kilda Film Festival Award (as writer-director) and is a former winner of the prized Best Australian Sports Writing Award.

Mattinson, who is 100% independent, puts a score out of 100 on every wine that he reviews. But what he’d rather do, is tell you the wine’s story.

https://www.campbellmattinson.com
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