Syrah 2018

Our favoured MS Syrah clone sourced from the Bridge Pa Triangle and the Dartmoor Valley was hand harvested in the second week of April. Bridge Pa Triangle soils feature fine silt loam over red metal gravels and the Dartmoor Valley has elevated terraces of sandy loam over gravels. Both sites are free draining and low in nutrient status, excellent for ripening.

Low yielding vines, open canopy management, managed irrigation and Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand farmed were common to both sites. The fruit ripened evenly at both sites - Bridge Pa producing riper more voluptuous fruit, while Dartmoor Valley produced pristine, bright fruited Syrah, truly cool climate.

The hand harvested Syrah was chilled overnight before processing the following day. Chilled bunches were hand sorted, then de-stemmed and the whole berries were transferred to open fermenters with some foot stomping. Some whole bunches were incorporated in the ferment. The berries were cold soaked before fermentation, with pumping over twice per day and pressed to barriques at the end of fermentation. The Syrah matured for 18 months in new and seasoned French oak barriques. Blended in November 2019 and bottled December 2019

An elegant Syrah which combines both exotic and red fruits supported by a backbone of fine tannins. Pure fruited and fragrant, with blueberry and cardamon spice.

This Syrah has lingering length and persistence of flavour, a hallmark of this variety.

Alcohol: 13.5% Total acidity: 6.2 g/l