April 13, 2024 - Soft dry fruity wine - still drinking well
March 9, 2024 - Good vibrant young looking red.
Big ripe wild berry, blue berry & raspberry nose with a hint of spearmint, inviting.
Great full round palate, not heavy at all, has a nice feel, elegante. Probably at peak.
February 10, 2023 - Dinner for next door neighbours (Wanaka Wedge House, Queensberry, Central Otago, New Zealand): Refined and vividly varietal. Black pepper, dry and focused blackberry. Quite mineral. Tannic and acid structure point to this wine wanting a little more
Time to become totally expressive, but the refinement is impressive. A well made, and typical Hawkes Bay Syrah. This has the stuffing to improve, but it will always have a bright and focused personality. Certainly outstanding.
July 3, 2021 - One of my favs
April 4, 2021 - Soft tannins, mellow fruit, nose muted but otherwise a very good wine and enjoyable.
January 3, 2021 - Very classy Syrah. Intense blackberry fruit, very peppery, bright top notes. In the mouth, lean and very tannic. Still in a relatively primary state, but the wine is developing into something very special. Should improve. 91+
December 7, 2020 - Consistent with earlier notes but probably in an even better drinking window. White pepper again, less "syrupy" and quite refined.
December 3, 2020 - Bought a single bottle in a search to find good value in quality wine in NZ and at £33 clearly failed in comparison to the £17.50 Guigal drunk recently. That said it's a lovely wine. A touch mute on the nose, the tannins are very soft, fruit plentiful and length good. Drinking now and should stay on this plateau for a decade.
August 22, 2020 - Lot of anticipation on this one, as we hauled it back in our luggage from NZ honeymoon, and waited until our 5 year anniversary to pop it open. Baking spices (almost cinnamon?) on the nose, which was quite pleasant. Fairly medium bodied. Very short finish. Couldn't peg it as a syrah if we opened it blind. But all in all an enjoyable, smooth wine that even held up on Day 2.
August 14, 2020 - Surprised by the score and comments on this wine. My bottle was perfectly fine. Dominant white pepper on the nose, a tad syrupy but nothing off putting.
Day 2 and it was even better as had settled down and integrated nicely.