Product Description:
A Syrah that whispers where others shout.
‘Our Hill’ is Sami-Odi’s quieter side — a Syrah shaped by the undulating hills south of Angaston in the Eden Valley. This is the fourth release from this site, where lower yields and higher elevation craft a wine that trades sheer power for nuance, delicacy and mood.
Fraser McKinley describes it best: think Grenache meets Pinot Noir, with a brush of Nebbiolo’s ethereal edge. It’s Syrah, but in a silk robe — perfumed, subtle and textural rather than dense and brooding. This is the bottle for drinkers who chase detail over impact, and who understand that Barossa can be whisper-soft when allowed to speak gently.
Serve slightly chilled, swirl patiently and pair with lighter fare like duck breast, roast quail or a simple mushroom risotto.
Maker
Fraser McKinley is the force behind Sami-Odi—a singular project quietly revolutionising Barossa Syrah. A native New Zealander with a background in spatial design and fine art, McKinley took an unlikely path to winemaking. A formative stint at Torbreck and The Standish Wine Co. laid the technical groundwork, but Sami-Odi has always been something else entirely: a deeply personal expression of site, vine, and time.
Since 2010, McKinley has worked exclusively with Shiraz from the Hoffmann Dallwitz Vineyard, managing his own rows with rigorous organic care. These blocks—some with vines dating back to the 1880s—are cultivated with obsessive precision. Yields are low, the detail is high, and the winemaking is uncompromisingly hands-on: small-batch ferments, whole bunches, no additions except sulphur, and bottling by gravity, unfined and unfiltered.
Philosophy
Sami-Odi is not built on scale or consistency—it’s about curation. McKinley’s approach to wine is more akin to an artist building a body of work: careful, layered, and always evolving. Each release is a blend of individual ferments, often across vine age, blocks, and even vintages. The result is not showy but intricate—wines that unfold slowly, offering both immediate pleasure and long-term intrigue.
This is Barossa through a new lens. The ripeness and power are there, but reined in by early picking, thoughtful canopy work, and a refusal to follow formula. Ferments range from carbonic to traditional, all pressed in small basket lots and matured in neutral oak. What emerges is Syrah with tension and soul—equal parts structure and spontaneity, driven more by instinct than recipe. McKinley doesn’t talk much about technique. He talks about the vineyard, the blend, and how it all feels. And the wines speak fluently in return.
Fraser McKinley is the force behind Sami-Odi—a singular project quietly revolutionising Barossa Syrah. A native New Zealander with a background in spatial design and fine art, McKinley took an unlikely path to winemaking. A formative stint at Torbreck and The Standish Wine Co. laid the technical groundwork, but Sami-Odi has always been something else entirely: a deeply personal expression of site, vine, and time.
Since 2010, McKinley has worked exclusively with Shiraz from the Hoffmann Dallwitz Vineyard, managing his own rows with rigorous organic care. These blocks—some with vines dating back to the 1880s—are cultivated with obsessive precision. Yields are low, the detail is high, and the winemaking is uncompromisingly hands-on: small-batch ferments, whole bunches, no additions except sulphur, and bottling by gravity, unfined and unfiltered.
Philosophy
Sami-Odi is not built on scale or consistency—it’s about curation. McKinley’s approach to wine is more akin to an artist building a body of work: careful, layered, and always evolving. Each release is a blend of individual ferments, often across vine age, blocks, and even vintages. The result is not showy but intricate—wines that unfold slowly, offering both immediate pleasure and long-term intrigue.
This is Barossa through a new lens. The ripeness and power are there, but reined in by early picking, thoughtful canopy work, and a refusal to follow formula. Ferments range from carbonic to traditional, all pressed in small basket lots and matured in neutral oak. What emerges is Syrah with tension and soul—equal parts structure and spontaneity, driven more by instinct than recipe. McKinley doesn’t talk much about technique. He talks about the vineyard, the blend, and how it all feels. And the wines speak fluently in return.
Tasting Notes
NOSE
– Perfumed & Subtle
Red cherry, rose petal and a lift of wild herbs.
PALATE
– Silken & Layered
Delicate red fruits, fine tannins and savoury nuance.
FINISH
– Whisper-Soft Length
Light, fresh finish with lingering floral notes.
The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - Syrah
Country - Australia
Region - Barossa Valley, South Australia
Vintage - 2023
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 13%
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