The launch of a new Hawke's Bay Syrah this month sets a new standard for single vineyard wines, top notch Syrah and the positive long term evolution of wine made in New Zealand. 

Easthope Paddock Six Syrah is the wine and it was inspired by one of the pinnacles of great Syrah made by the northern Rhone producer, Jamet, whose Cote Rotie regularly features in the minds and mouths of Rod and Emma Easthope. The concentration of flavour, balance and structure - and long ageing potential of Jamet Cote Rotie - has long been a source of inspiration for both winemakers in this husband-wife team. It is the reason they planted their one hectare elevated hillside vineyard at Mangatahi, on the land they also live on. They named the vineyard Paddock Six and have devoted it entirely to Syrah, declaring their first vintage from grapes grown in 2020; a warm, dry vintage that has produced wines of impeccable quality. New releases of 2020 Hawke's Bay reds are already showing just how outstanding the wines from that year are. 

Rod Easthope's winemaking philosophy...

"You might be surprised to know that very few winemakers own their vineyard, let alone tend the vines. Good wines can be made where these quality determining actions are delegated to third party growers and labour, but profound individual wines only emerge when vested hands tend the vines on a great site," says winemaker Rod Easthope. 

Up close and personal

Apart from picking the grapes, the only hands that touch the 3000 Syrah vines on the Paddock Six Vineyard are those of Rod and Emma Easthope, who guesstimate that they would visit every vine at least 20 times a year.

"This intimacy with our vineyard means that differences between individual vines are noted. It's an innate intuition that these particular wines produce grapes that just look, feel and, most importantly, taste right. You could call it our in house Grand Cru classification."

The wine 

One bottle strictly per customer

The new 2020 Easthope Paddock Six Syrah and will make many of us dig deep to buy a bottle but with the structure to last for at least 20 years and evolve positively over that time, it more than lives up to its price. 

Paddock Six Syrah will be made only in good to exceptional quality vintages. In other years the grapes will be declassified into lower priced Syrah.

Pop in store to buy a bottle...

2020 Easthope Paddock Six Syrah RRP $155.99