Region: Barossa Valley
Sub Region: Ebenezer – Hoffmann Dallwitz Vineyard
Variety: Syrah
Country: Australia
Vintage: Multi-Vintage / NV
The Wine
Little Wine is Fraser McKinley’s multi-vintage interpretation of the extraordinary Hoffmann family’s Dallwitz Vineyard at Ebenezer. Rather than treating non-vintage blending as a means of consistency, Sami-Odi uses it creatively: younger casks bring energy and perfume, while older material contributes depth, texture and complexity.
Little Wine #9 combines five vintages: 2019 (42%), 2018 (37%), 2017 (13%), 2016 (4%) and 2015 (4%). All the fruit comes from five treasured parcels within Dallwitz, including vines planted in 1996, 1995, 1960 and 1927, together with the oldest vines planted before 1912. Only 6,451 bottles were produced.
That blending is central to the wine’s character. The sizeable 2018 and 2019 components provide dark fruit and generosity, but the older casks bring a savoury, evolved dimension: dried flowers, spice, earth, leather and ferrous mineral detail. Despite its concentration, #9 never loses the freshness and fine tannin that separate Sami-Odi from more conventional Barossa Shiraz.
It is a particularly substantial Little Wine, but still recognisably McKinley: Syrah expressed through perfume, texture and vineyard rather than alcohol or obvious oak.
Cellared Says
One of the more compelling older Little Wine releases. There’s considerably more depth here than the name suggests, and enough bottle age for the different vintages to have knitted together beautifully. These older Sami-Odi releases are becoming increasingly difficult to find with any confidence, and #9 shows exactly why collectors started paying attention in the first place.
Reviews
“Textural glory, sumptuous detail… exceptional length of ripe dark berry fruit, briary herbal detail and very fine-feeling red-earthy tannin.”
97 Points – Mike Bennie, The Wine Front
“Youthful… with deep black fruit and blackberries, as well as darker notes of stone, tar and iodine.”
96 Points – James Suckling
Region: Barossa Valley
Sub Region: Ebenezer – Hoffmann Dallwitz Vineyard
Variety: Syrah
Country: Australia
Vintage: Multi-Vintage / NV
The Wine
Little Wine is Fraser McKinley’s multi-vintage interpretation of the extraordinary Hoffmann family’s Dallwitz Vineyard at Ebenezer. Rather than treating non-vintage blending as a means of consistency, Sami-Odi uses it creatively: younger casks bring energy and perfume, while older material contributes depth, texture and complexity.
Little Wine #9 combines five vintages: 2019 (42%), 2018 (37%), 2017 (13%), 2016 (4%) and 2015 (4%). All the fruit comes from five treasured parcels within Dallwitz, including vines planted in 1996, 1995, 1960 and 1927, together with the oldest vines planted before 1912. Only 6,451 bottles were produced.
That blending is central to the wine’s character. The sizeable 2018 and 2019 components provide dark fruit and generosity, but the older casks bring a savoury, evolved dimension: dried flowers, spice, earth, leather and ferrous mineral detail. Despite its concentration, #9 never loses the freshness and fine tannin that separate Sami-Odi from more conventional Barossa Shiraz.
It is a particularly substantial Little Wine, but still recognisably McKinley: Syrah expressed through perfume, texture and vineyard rather than alcohol or obvious oak.
Cellared Says
One of the more compelling older Little Wine releases. There’s considerably more depth here than the name suggests, and enough bottle age for the different vintages to have knitted together beautifully. These older Sami-Odi releases are becoming increasingly difficult to find with any confidence, and #9 shows exactly why collectors started paying attention in the first place.
Reviews
“Textural glory, sumptuous detail… exceptional length of ripe dark berry fruit, briary herbal detail and very fine-feeling red-earthy tannin.”
97 Points – Mike Bennie, The Wine Front
“Youthful… with deep black fruit and blackberries, as well as darker notes of stone, tar and iodine.”
96 Points – James Suckling
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