TOP SYRAH

Church Road Grand Reserve Syrah 2019 (Hawke’s Bay) - 7 $40 ★★★★★

IN 2021, Church Road chief winemaker Chris Scott became the only winemaker to win the prestigious ‘New Zealand Winemaker of the Year’ award for a fourth time at the Winestate Wine of the Year Awards. This series of accolades combined with the increasing global acknowledgement of Hawke’s Bay as a world-class syrahproducing region, on top of the superb vintage Hawke’s Bay experienced in 2019, makes this wine quite the triple treat.

The growing season in 2019 was dry from after Christmas 2018 until harvest was complete. When this happens it gives the viticulture team the luxury of

time, which allows perfect grape ripening along with the ability to pick without the pressure of bad weather looming.

Church Road Grand Reserve wines are not single vineyard wines. This means that the grapes can be picked from select parcels across the best vineyards in Hawke’s Bay. The quality of these wines is such that at Church Road they are affectionately referred to as ‘Baby Tom’, which is high praise indeed, especially when available at a fraction of the price of the illustrious Tom itself.

It is described by our judges as gorgeous, bright and youthful with soft cherry and dark spice aromas on the nose and through into the palate. The oak has been beautifully integrated with subtle spice flavours against well-handled fruit. Fleshy yet silky, this is an expertly crafted elegant and nuanced syrah that will keep delivering for some time. A quiet yet powerful example of New Zealand syrah.

2 / Church Road Mcdonald Series Syrah 2019 (Hawke’s Bay) ★★★★★ - 6 $28

A complete wine with bright lifted aromatics of dark fruit, blueberries, red blossoms and herbs and spice against black-pepper notes on the nose. A harmonious palate with ripe black fruits which is fleshy and succulent, aided and abetted by perfectly integrated grainy oak tannins and a long lingering finish.

3 / Obsidian Estate Syrah 2020 (Waiheke Island) ★★★★★ - 8 $36

A seductive nose that drags you into the glass where blueberries, mulberry and darker plum notes are threaded with spices and cracked pepper. The palate is supple and silky with beautiful tannins supported by juicy acidity. This syrah is youthful and vibrant yet dark and brooding. A moreish wine with a fruit-forward profile.

4 / Sileni Peak Grand Reserve Syrah 2019 (Hawke’s Bay) ★★★★ - 7 $40

The nose is dense and fragrant with dark plums and spice that provide an aromatic lift. A youthful, cooler style of syrah with juicy red-fruited notes up front, but darker fruits and spices that roll through on the supple palate providing complexity. An elegant example with power, length and drive.

5 / Mills Reef Reserve Syrah 2020 (Hawke’s Bay) ★★★★ - 6 $25

Gorgeous primary characters abound on the nose as red plums and dark spices jump out of the glass. On the fleshy yet silky palate, bright sweet red fruits are matched perfectly by savoury chalky tannins, all of which serves to give the wine vibrance and moreishness. A generous and well-put-together wine.

6 / Mt Difficulty Ghost Town Bendigo Syrah 2019 (Bendigo, Central Otago) ★★★★ - 10 $65

Soft aromatics of lifted black fruits with hints of savoury characters and a pinch of black pepper come through on what is a most intriguing nose. These dark fruits segue through to the palate with plums and red fruits in tandem, set against lovely chalky tannins. An juicy and powerful wine with elegance.

In 2019, both Hawke’s Bay and Auckland reported incredible crops – perfect for syrah adorers. And 2020 was a vintage for the ages with amazing conditions and incredible grape quality.

Mudbrick Vineyard Reserve Syrah 2020 (Waiheke Island) ★★★★ - 10 $75

Squawking Magpie Gravels Syrah 2020 (Hawke’s Bay) ★★★★ - 5 $33.95

Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2019 (Hawke’s Bay) ★★★★ - 4 $40