Syrah 2020

98/100 ★★★★★

It's seductively expressed on the nose showing dark plum, bouquet garni, cedar, cured meat and rich floral aromas. The concentrated palate is both refined and robust, displaying outstanding weight and depth, wonderfully enhanced by seamlessly flowing mouthfeel and finely infused tannins. The wine combines exceptional fruit purity with alluring complexity, finishing immensely long and gratifying.

- Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

97/100 ★★★★★

Aromas of complexity and youth, dark plums and black raspberry, medium baking spice layers from barrel and soil, there’s an amazing amount of depth and purity with some licorice and spice layers, a whisper of red peppercorn spice and youthful enticing vibrato. Absolutely delicious on the palate, pure, ripe, fresh, youthful, taut, harmonious and new. Fruit flavours reflect the bouquet along with layers of barrel flavours and mineral. Tannins are ripe, polished, abundant and fine, acidity sets the back bone in place.

- Cameron Douglas, MS

96/100 ★★★★★

Elegant rather than blockbuster Syrah which nonetheless reveals plenty of underlying power. Fine-grained red with layers of fruit, floral and savoury flavours that reveal a truly complex wine. I noted violet, new leather, cassis, black pepper and mixed spice. A backbone of ripe tannins suggests ageing potential.

- Bob Campbell, The Real Review

Two vineyards have been blended to make this supple Syrah. Clone 470 from the Bridge Pa Triangle and MS Syrah from Mangatahi. The Bridge Pa fruit was plush and dark fruited, while the Mangatahi Syrah had lovely vibrancy and elegance, a wonderful combination. Both vineyards are Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand accredited, with low yields, open canopy management and managed irrigation.

The hand harvested Syrah was chilled overnight, followed by hand sorting the next morning. The chilled bunches were then de-stemmed and whole berries transferred to open fermenters with some foot stomping. The addition of some whole bunches to the ferments occurred. The berries were cold soaked and when ambient temperature was reached the indigenous yeast had initiated fermentation. Two pump overs a day at cool temperatures was the regime and an addition of cultured yeast ensured a clean dry finish to fermentation. The Syrah was then pressed to French barriques, new and 1 year old for approximately 17 months, blending in October 2021 and bottled in November 2021.

A supple, richly textured Syrah which has a base of black fruited berries and sweet fruit fragrance. Ripe Syrah is plush and mouthfilling and the subtle fine grained French oak provides underlying poise and aids structural integrity to this fine wine. A combination of purity of fruit and restrained elegance which will unfold beautifully with age. Alcohol: 13.5% Total acidity: 6.2 g/l