• French oak
• Dark spicy fruits
• Floral fragrance
• Structured tannins

"This is reminiscent of a top-notch Hermitage. Exquisitely graceful yet immensely powerful. The elegant perfumed bouquet shows Black Doris plum, violet, thyme, clove, and roasted nut characters with a hint of gamey complexity. The concentrated palate exhibits impressive depth together with seamlessly flowing mouthfeel backed by layers of fine tannins, finishing persistent and engaging. The wine offers scintillating clarity as well as seductive complexity. A superstar Syrah" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Sep 2021

"Dense, elegant syrah that is delightfully supple with dark berry, violet, black pepper, anise and spicy oak flavours. Delicious wine that can be appreciated now but should develop well with bottle age. A very impressive wine from an excellent vintage" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Sep 2021

"The refined, youthful 2019 vintage (5*) was hand-picked in the Bridge Pa Triangle and at Roys Hill, and matured for 16 months in French oak barriques (partly new). Full-coloured, it is a very age-worthy red, fresh, flowing and supple, with concentrated, vigorous, plum/spice flavours, oak complexity, and a seductively smooth texture" Michael Cooper, Buyer's Guide Edition 2022

"Moderately deep ruby-red with a purple hue, lighter purple on edge. The nose is elegantly full and very enticing, packed with perfectly ripened plums and red berries, entwined minty herbs, black pepper, followed by earthy tar layers and barrel spices. Medium-full bodied, the palate filled with the purity of plums, red berries, medicinal/ minty herbs, along with black pepper and suggestions of liquorice, earthy elements linger on the finish. The mouthfeel is ethereally smooth, contributed by velvety tannin extraction with a powdery grip. Lacy acidity flows seamlessly and harmoniously, provides good energy and vitality. The fruit has intensity, and perfect ripeness balance lends a long, elegant finish. This is a class Syrah with fruit's purity, herbs and earthy details enriched by balanced, quality oak on a seamless, velvety palate. Drinking impeccably now will cellar gracefully for the next 10+ years" Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Reviews, Sep 2021

"Complex and layered bouquet with scents of red and purple skinned fruits, a distinctive layer of French oak and Hawkes Bay crushed stones minerality. Youthful, primary and alluring. Fantastic structure on the palate with an abundance of ripe chalky tannins and backbone of acidity. This foundation embraces the flavours of dark red berries and spices, barrel flavours, some wild violets and soft savoury complexity. Excellent mouthfeel and finish, complexity and charm. Don’t rush to drink this wine - its one for the cellar with best drinking from 2023 through 2030+" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Sep 2021

A brooding black fruited Syrah which is well structured with alcohol, tannin and acidity. Dark spicy fruits are well supported with a hint of pure floral fragrance. Crafted to age well, complexity, concentration of pure ripe fruit and subtle sweet oak blend together to ensure this. This Syrah has lingering length and persistence of flavour, a hallmark of this variety.

Clone 470 and MS Syrah are sourced from the Bridge Pa Triangle and MS Syrah from Roys Hill. Bridge Pa Triangle soils feature fine silt over red metal gravels, while the gravel sites protected by Roys Hill feature gravel over fine silt. These sites are free draining and low in fertility, resulting in struggling vines producing fruit of great concentration. Low yielding vines, open canopy management, managed irrigation and Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand farmed were common to these sites. The 470 Syrah from Bridge Pa was textural with dark exotic characters, the MS Syrah from Bridge Pa was harvested for elegance and bright acidity while the Roys Hill MS Syrah was spicy and peppery.

Hawkes Bay’s 2019 growing season started with a wet spring, resulting in lower yields and smaller berry size. A warm and dry period after Christmas, extending to a long hot autumn with cool nights ensured fresh acidity and the harvested grapes displayed wonderful intense fruit flavour. Higher growing temperatures and lower rainfall, coupled with a lighter crop resulted in an early start to vintage.

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 ferments. The berries were cold soaked before fermentation, indigenous yeast initiated the fermentation, while cultured yeast completed it. Twice daily pump overs and cool ferment temperatures through to dryness, then pressed to barriques. The Syrah matured for approximately 16 months in new and seasoned French oak barriques. Blended in September 2020 and bottled in October 2020.