Walls: Top-quality and great-value Côte-Rôtie alternatives

Sage and black cherry are the dominant aromas here, but most of all there’s a sense of gentle togetherness, harmony and grace in this wine. Despite being light-bodied, it has a certain presence on the palate, it moves fast. The acidity is low, but it’s not noticeable; it's a wine of great poise and precision. One of those perfectly balanced wines that appears to have made itself. It's a Syrah akin to a marble statue, with great purity, grace and coolness. Not a terribly complex or concentrated wine, but it doesn't need to be; I love it for its calmness and serenity. Coming from just one block of 20-year-old vines which are at 240m and south-west facing, in the Yellingbo area of Yarra Valley. Partly whole bunch fermented and then matured in demi-muids, of which 20% were new. Only 2,800 bottles were made.

Beautifully floral aromas, with a touch of greenness that gives freshness. This evolves into graphite, black pepper and blackberry characters with a reductive edge that accentuates the aromatics. This is definitely a savoury Syrah, as opposed to a fruity Shiraz, evidenced by the tight and dry finish, which is grippy but not austere. It’s perfectly balanced, open, complex and drinkable; an excellent example of South African Syrah. The vines are at an impressive 940m altitude, it was fermented using natural yeasts and aged in foudres.

This delivers everything you would hope for from a Saint-Joseph. Violets, lavender and pink peppercorns on the nose, with some just-ripe blackberries coming through, but the fruit is secondary to the florality and spice. Smoky notes linger and in time, a touch of liquorice, star anise and cola-flavoured oak emerge. Light-bodied in the mouth, but there’s good intensity and freshness without heaviness or extraction. Having said that, there's some good grip on the front of the tongue. An excellent wine. The vines are five to 20 years old and are grown on muscovite granite in Chavanay. 20% whole bunch, fermented with natural yeasts with a submerged cap, and then matured in demi-muids for a year.

Such a beautifully captivating, floral nose with lavender, violets and roses backed up by fresh raspberry. Medium-bodied on the palate, it has a good sense of concentration but no heaviness, just intensity and a dry, mineral, precise finish. Fine, dry, grippy and clay-like tannins coat the mouth. Showing good acidity and freshness despite the heat of the 2019 vintage, this is very well-balanced and offers so much pleasure. I would drink it young, but it could be interesting with age too. Extraordinary value for money. Hand-picked grapes from five to 50-year-old vines in Chavanay, it was then matured in demi-muids.

Reductive to start with, this is a distinctly tight expression of Saint-Joseph. On the palate it’s very smooth, like running your hand through a fur coat. There's a fullness and generosity on the palate that I don't always associate with this cuvée, but admittedly it's a particularly rich and ripe year. The fruit is opulent and the alcohol quite potent, but it is all in check. There's some smoky bacon tones, and the general effect is fresh despite the generous, giving fruits. Great purity and precision despite the ripeness. The grapes come from some of the finest vineyards in Chavanay, with some very old vines. It’s had 20% whole bunch, with 20% new oak use, and was matured for 18 months in barrel.

It's worth picking a hot vintage for this cuvée, and the 2018 is a case in point - the richest, most concentrated example of Les Grisières I've tasted. It doesn't lack any clarity or rigidity of tannic structure. The oak is present but well-integrated, so doesn't intrude. A flavour profile of pure forest berry fruits proves that this is very young still. The alcohol is just in balance, though higher than a typical year. The vines are from a parcel near Chavanay.

The vines for this 100% Syrah from the Great Southern area in Western Australia were dry farmed, and the grapes hand-picked and sorted. It matured for 10 months in French oak, followed by no filtration and minimal use of sulphur before bottling. There's a slight char on the nose, like herbs on the barbecue. A touch of blood mingles with black fruits and blackberries. Light-bodied, it moves quickly in the mouth and has ample tannic grip. There’s plenty of impact without weight or overt concentration, and it finishes fresh and lifted with a floral flourish. A lovely wine that’s very northern Rhône in style, I would drink this now whilst it’s young.

This is predominantly Mencia but also contains some Brancellao, Merenzao, Caíño Tinto, Sousón, Mouratón and Garnacha Tinta. Gently fragrant, this puts forth violets and blueberries with a subtle nuttiness and a touch of liquorice. Fairly slight in frame, it coats the tongue and delivers a gently pulling sensation in the mouth rather than a tannic grip. It feels very naturally balanced despite the low acidity, with its pure fruit, tannins and alcohol all in balance. A quiet, understated wine with a real sense of place.

On the border of Côte-Rôtie, this parcel of old Syrah vines is planted within the boundaries of the Condrieu appellation. Beautifully expressive raspberry, juniper and rose appear on the nose. Light bodied, but with a gently plump, juicy core. Vibrant acidity and a salty finish make this lively and drinkable. I would drink this by itself and enjoy its delicacy.

A highly expressive, effusive nose, with tomato stalk, white pepper and oregano, clearly whole bunch fermented. Combined with sandalwood characters, the nose might be too herbal for some tastes, but it certainly has its place. Light-bodied on the palate, it is light in concentration but high in aromatics, with some rose florality and lift. Very appealing and easy to drink.

From a 40-year-old vineyard in Chavanay, grapes were fully destemmed. It’s showing blackberry, bonfire ashes and blackcurrant leaf aromas. 2016 was not the most concentrated vintage, so it’s medium-bodied but very smooth in the mouth. The finish is lifted and fresh, with bright berry acidity. Quite lean and transparent, this is mostly based around fresh acidity, with fine, slight tannins and a granitic spine. I would drink this now while there's still some fruit left, rather than aiming for further development.

Labelled as IGP Collines Rhodaniennes, this 100% Syrah is from a vineyard just above lieu-dit Bassenon in Côte-Rôtie. 20% whole bunch was used, and it’s showing soft, squished berry fruits alongside vibrant acidity. There's a gently resinous seam that brings complexity and a distinctly northern Rhône feel. Succulent tannins make this expressive and enjoyable, with enough weight to work well with food. 2018 was a particularly ripe and plush vintage for this cuvée.

A little reticent on the nose initially, then there's subtle a whiff of bacon that comes through. A polished, medium-bodied palate that’s supported by seamless, fine tannins and concentration. There is good length, but it needs more time really, despite its sense of freshness, lift and purity. With 70% of the grapes destemmed, the wine was then matured for 10 months in a variety of barrel sizes.

Brightly transparent with an attractive ruby colour. The nose is sappy and resinous with lots of gently tarry herbal notes. It’s light in body, but with 24 months in barriques the oak helps to bring a little generosity to the palate. Sapid raspberry fruits combine with fresh, tangy acidity and very fine tannin. This makes for a very drinkable Syrah, even in a vintage like 2016. Whatever it lacks in concentration it makes up for in intensity. Remarkably youthful and fresh considering this is five years after vintage.