Syrah

A lovely, deep and dark violet colour in the glass, this wine opens with mineral and smoke accented dark berries, liquorice and spicy black pepper on the deeply perfumed nose. The palate flows energetically with juicy cherry and blackcurrant flavours and more of the smoky minerality found on the nose which adds lift and depth. The finish is long with floral and tapenade pinned together with well defined ripe tannins.

Maturation - 16 months in oak barrels used for several earlier vintages

100% Syrah from the legendary slopes of Hermitage above the town of Tain in the Northern Rhone. 

The soils here are a fabulous mix of limestone, clay, silt soil and sandy gravel and the vines have an average age of over 30 years. The wine matures in barrel for a whopping 36 months with 50% new oak.

Deep ruby red with violet tinges on the eye opening into a spicy nose with red berries and delicate oak aromas. The palate is powerful and tannic with flavours of blackcurrant, vanilla, licorice and spice

Gorgeous dark spicy Syrah with mana and a long track record from 15 year old vines grown on the Kindy Block on Waiheke Island; part of the original Goldwater Estate Vineyard. 

This superb full bodied Syrah is now made by winemaker Kelly Washington, who uses 85% destemmed grapes with 15% whole bunches in the ferment to lift aromatic appeal and enhance softness. Wild yeast fermentation started the winemaking and the juice was then innoculated with a Syrah yeast strain. It's aged for 12 months in a mix of French oak barrels and a puncheon, 21% of the oak is new with the balance being neutral and second fill barrels with a medium toast to allow the fruit to shine rather than the oak. 

Fleshy, concentrated black fruit comes to the fore on the palate of this lively wine, which is supported by savoury, spicy notes, firm tannins and bright acidity.

This wine is in conversion to BioGro organic. 

Contreras Ruiz is located in Condado de Huelva which borders the National Park of Doñana to the south and east. The stunning winery was constructed in 1868 and sports five naves separated by arches 30m high, made from forged iron, typical of the south of Spain and boasts state of the art wine tech within.

Vallehondo is a 100% Syrah that expresses the extremes of the D.O. Condado de Huelva terroir, famous for its warmth, saline notes from the Atlantic and soils predominated by sand and limestone.

The wine is Intense and elegant on the nose which is dominated by ripe red fruits, and nuanced by black pepper and vanilla notes. The palate is silky and unctuous reflecting the warmth of Southern Spain, but is kept fresh by decent acidity, round elegant tannins and well integrated oak.

Ash Ridge Wines is located in Hawke's Bay and is a family owned winery established in 2005 by Chris and Sonya Wilcock.

This gem from the stunning 2020 vintage has a savoury, gamey bouquet packed with meaty nuances, black pepper, herb, dark plum and blackberry. The palate is rich with dark fruit and savoury details thanks to a supple tannin framework and balanced acidity.

Le Sol means sunshine or soil, depending on which language you're talking - and either way, it is a lovely evocative description of one of the best Syrahs made in Hawke's Bay every year. This incredibly powerful wine is a beautiful spicy expression of the great Syrah grape from the Northern Rhone Valley. It was aged for 27 months in French oak barriques.

Domaine Clusel-Roch is located in Verenay, the northernmost village in Cote Rotie, with a winegrowing history that predates the region's fame. Although the estate comprises a mere 3.5 ha, their plots are small-but-mighty, consistently producing intensely coveted cuvees. Now run by Gilbert Clusel, his wife Brigitte, and their son Guillaume, the Clusel-Roch family was among the first to adopt organic farming practices in the area, when Gilbert's grandfather planted the core vineyard of the winery in 1935.

Domaine Clusel-Roch is located in V?renay, the northernmost village in C?te R?tie, with a winegrowing history that predates the region?s fame. Although the estate comprises a mere 3.5 ha, their plots are small-but-mighty, consistently producing intensely coveted cuv?es. Now run by Gilbert Clusel, his wife Brigitte, and their son Guillaume, the Clusel-Roch family was among the first to adopt organic farming practices in the area, when Gilbert?s grandfather planted the core vineyard of the winery in 1935.

Syrah is the star here, and Clusel-Roch?s vineyards are not planted with just any syrah, but with the unique, low-yielding clone known as serine. Their single vineyard bottlings are in great demand (and limited quantity), but this cuv?e provides a rare opportunity to get an affordable taste of Clusel-Roch?s inimitable style

This bottle is classic Northern Rh?ne syrah, with a woody smoke over spice, plush blackberry, black raspberry, currant, and hints of crushed herbs.

Made from fruit taken from an exceptional Gimblett Gravels vineyard, this Syrah is the antithesis of the big, rich, ripe Syrah?s that are abundantly available. With lovely acidity, refined tannins and superb flavor intensity, the wine was always destined for extended barrel and bottle ageing. Two years in barrel before bottling and then a further year in bottle before release in July 2020, reveals a unique wine that will age for a very long time.

Raspberry, white pepper, cedar, poached pears, plums and hints of fresh coconut make for a highly complex nose. The wine has fine-grained, delicate tannins, with a light mid-palate texture more aligned with Burgundian Pinot Noir than Hawkes Bay Syrah. Fresh acidity that lengthens and balances the palate brings length, freshness and vitality.

1000 bottles made.

This is the first fruit from the new Dicey Syrah vines and the results are impressive.

The fruit was all destemmed and fermented with indigenous yeast and received 21 days on the skins with had daily punch downs. The wine spent 10 months in neutral oak and went through natural malolactic fermentation.

The nose is bright and expressive with boysenberry, blackcurrant and elegant violet notes leading to a palate that is supple, lithe and lightly structured. 

Wine growers in the northern Rhone since 1481, the Chave family represents 16 generations of unbroken lineage committed to the production of some of the finest Syrah, Marsanne, and Roussanne on the planet. Jean Louis joined his father in 1992 after completing undergraduate studies at University of Connecticut and a degree in oenology at Davis. It was at that time that he completely replanted vineyards on the family?s original estate in Saint-Joseph, which had been abandoned in the early 1900?s when phylloxera hit the region.

'Vinified from grapes that were harvested as late as the 26th of September, the 2021 L'Hermitage Blanc was cropped at 38 hL/ha, above the levels of 2022. It dazzles with vivid spring blossom, honeysuckle, lemon peel, white peach, quince, apricot and discrete cedar aromas. Medium-bodied and immaculately balanced by bright acidity, this is an athletic L'Hermitage Blanc with marked freshness and energy. A saline aftertaste wraps up the sapid finish. Outstanding.' 96 pts Nicolas Greinacher - Vinous

Wine growers in the northern Rhone since 1481, the Chave family represents 16 generations of unbroken lineage committed to the production of some of the finest Syrah, Marsanne, and Roussanne on the planet. Jean Louis joined his father in 1992 after completing undergraduate studies at University of Connecticut and a degree in oenology at Davis. It was at that time that he completely replanted vineyards on the family?s original estate in Saint-Joseph, which had been abandoned in the early 1900?s when phylloxera hit the region.

'The refined 2021 L'Hermitage was cropped at 37 hL/ha and bottled in early September 2023. It is laced with finely delineated orange rind, raspberry, red cherry, red plum, dried herbs, pencil shavings, black cherry, crushed violet and cedar. Showing excellent tension on the medium-bodied palate, the 2021 brings it home with clarity and freshness. That being said, it won?t be as long lived as either the 2020 or 2022.' 94 pts Nicolas Greinacher - Vinous

Wine growers in the northern Rhone since 1481, the Chave family represents 16 generations of unbroken lineage committed to the production of some of the finest Syrah, Marsanne, and Roussanne on the planet. Jean Louis joined his father in 1992 after completing undergraduate studies at University of Connecticut and a degree in oenology at Davis. It was at that time that he completely replanted vineyards on the family?s original estate in Saint-Joseph, which had been abandoned in the early 1900?s when phylloxera hit the region.

Jean-Louis Chave Selections, his negociant line which sources grapes from various areas in the northern Rhone, represents a more accessible way for the consumer to experience the wines of the Chave family.

'Saturated violet colour. Smoky, mineral-accented black and blue fruit scents are complicated by olive paste, licorice and floral nuances that build in the glass. Juicy and energetic in the mouth, offering vibrant blackberry, boysenberry, candied violet and smoky bacon flavours that become sweeter with air. The floral and mineral notes come back strong on the penetrating finish, which shows outstanding persistence and fine-grained, harmonious tannins.' 95pts Josh Reynolds - Vinous