• French oak
• Siced cherry
• Thyme & clove
• Fine tannins

"Pristine and elegant, the bouquet shows dark plum, spiced cherry, floral, thyme and clove aromas, followed by a juicy palate delivering gentle weight and flowing texture. Offering excellent fruit purity, it's well structured by fine grainy tannins, finishing firm and lingering. At its best: now to 2029" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Sep 2021

Bright red fruits with an earthy edge and blueberry undertones. A spicy toast and just a touch of the classic white pepper. Bright and intense on the palate with red and black summer fruits and dry roast dark spices. Fine tannins and a fresh acidity give the palate length, and a nice medium body. The wine finishes strong, with subtle white pepper and ripe black plums.

Premium grapes were first grown in Te Awanga at the beginning of last century. The warm coastal climate, gentle sea breezes and the shallow clay soils combine to produce award winning wines of great varietal flavour and finesse.

Autumn 2019 was a little unsettled but came at the end of an advanced growing season. Fruit for this wine came from a vineyard situated inland west of Hastings on an old riverbed. Naturally higher than normal acidity was characteristic of Syrah grapes this year producing a real definition in aromatics.

A combination of machine and handpicked fruit was destemmed but not crushed into open and closed fermenters. The wine was plunged and pumped over up to three times a day at the height of ferment. Post ferment it was rested for up to three weeks on skins to advance and condense the tannin structure making the wine more approachable and supple. The wine was pressed and run to tank and new and used French oak barriques, where it was matured for 12 months, before it was blended and was bottled in December 2020