Michael Hall
In the middle of last year I sat down, at home, to three vintage of Michael Hall Mount Torrens Syrah: 2022, 2023 and 2024. I’ve known for a decade or so that Michael Hall consistently produces top-flight wine – he’s one of those producers who simply never produces anything other than excellence – but this trio of Adelaide Hills wines franked his high-grade reputation for good. All three of these wines are meticulous, multi-layered and magnificent. When you look at the ratings on The Winefront site of various vintages of Michael Hall Mount Torrens Syrah dating back to the 2015 vintage release you see that this wine is outstanding pretty much every year. Somehow though, despite these consistently high ratings, it tends to fly under the radar. This is why it costs $60 and not twice that. If I ever compose a list of Australia’s Best Kept Wine Secrets, Michael Hall Mount Torrens Syrah would be on it.
Michael Hall dropped these wines off to my office in Melbourne. We talked cycling most of the time but just before he had to go I set up a light and, in five minutes flat, took a bunch of images.
The image of Michael Hall below is a bit of a favourite, even though it breaks a couple of rules. For starters, it cuts his hands off, and photographers the world over would be quick to point that out. I kind of don’t give a stuff. He’s also smiling and modern portrait photograph demands serious. This is what Michael Hall is like when you talk with him.
This photo is also a square crop with some negative space. Which reminds me; I should write an article about negative space in photography, and what negative space means in wine.
This last image doesn’t belong here because it’s not great of Michael and indeed, I only took it to check the lighting. But it qualifies as behind the scenes or behind the curtains and besides, it gives a glimpse of my pink-soon-to-be-repainted-grey brick wall.
