Syrah 2020

2019 was an excellent vintage in Marlborough with perfect weather throughout the ripening period and great weather for harvest. Yields for most varieties were low though after poor weather during flowering in late 2018. We only make our Syrah in vintages where conditions are perfect for ripening. This is only the third Syrah in the last nine years.

Our Syrah vines were planted in 1990, making them some of the oldest in Marlborough, and they are still on their own roots. The vines were cropped very low, at only three tonnes per hectare, and given special care by our viticultural team. When the fruit was perfectly ripe at 22.6 brix it was picked on 10 April 2019, long after all our other wines, other than sweet wine. It was destemmed and given a warm fermentation, before being aged for almost 11 months in French oak; one third new oak. It was bottled on 19 February 2020.

It is a deep, bold, luxurious colour: velvet, carmine, ruby and magenta. The nose abounds with dark berry fruits, vanilla, spice, herbs and enticing florals including dark roses and violets. The broad palate is elegant and mouth-coating with enticing black pepper, spice, cassis, dark plums and blueberries. This is a complex, smooth, mouth-filling wine with charming fine-grained tannins, well balanced acidity, restrained oak and moderate alcohol. It is a deceptively powerful wine with considerable hidden depths yet to evolve. The finish is long and smooth and perfectly poised. There is the promise of considerable aging potential and undoubtedly this wine will develop even greater complexity with time.

 Technical Notes

Alcohol: 12.5%, Acidity: 5.0, PH: 3.56, Residual Sugar: 0.

 Reviews

Fascinating nose with smoke, savoury nuances, minerality, a little herb, dark berries and rhubarb later. The savoury notes are apparent on the palate with spices, blood & iron, blackberry fresh off the bush, a touch of green olive later. A grainy feel to the tannins and a lip-smacking salivatory aspect to the close. A rare Marlborough Syrah and worth looking out for. Rating Excellent

Mark Henderson, OTD, September 2021.

 Barrel sample. Violets and florals, a touch of pepper, but very much fruit driven. The oak just adding a bit of deep balsamic flavour. Lithe and creamy on the palate, good acidity and a fresh finish.    90/100

                                                                                                      Tom Cannavan. Wine Pages.com. May 2020

Offering fabulous fruit purity and perfume, the wine shows Black Doris plum, raspberry, thyme, violet and roasted nut aromas. It's equally delightful on the palate with lovely rounded mouthfeel and silky tannins, leading to a lengthy succulent finish. At its best: now to 2025. *****   93/100

                                                                                                                       Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Nov 2020