Brookfields Backblock Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2015 $21 ★★★½
How pretty is the colour of this wine? Glossy and inky-purple in the glass, it’s also chock full of violets, bouquet-garni herbs and loads of dark berries. There’s a classic hit of pepper – but it’s only there to cuddle the fruit. Fresh and youthful, winemaker Peter Robertson (who’s also fresh and youthful) has worked really hard not to mask that freshness with too much oak and it’s worked beautifully.
