Intense blueberry and bay leaf aromatics, stacks of peppercorn, cocoa and plummy notes. Warming and velvety in the mouth – plump and saucy yet elegantly poised. Baking spices and smoky, nutty notes on the finish. Give it a few minutes to open up in the glass and you’ll be rewarded for sure. www.redmetalvineyards.co.nz
syrah
Stonecroft Gimblett Gravels Crofters Syrah 2015 $22 ★★★½
If you’re after pure peppercorn and light violet layers in your syrah then you’ve come to the right place. A brisk, sandy texture in the mid-palate and some punchy plum and boysenberry fruit forces its way across the tongue and around the back teeth. The finish is juicy and bright, moderately spicy and definitely nicey. … Read More
Millars Vineyard Syrah 2014 $25 (4.5 stars)
Take the little bendy track called Bush Lane above Mangawhai beach, and you’ll find the small but perfectly formed vineyard belonging to Ross Millar. He grows tiny amounts of darn lovely wine and this syrah is no exception. Ultra-pure peppercorn characters on the nose merge with lifted violet, dark cherry, blueberry and juicy, succulent fruit … Read More
Kaimira Estate Nelson Syrah 2011 $38 (3.5 stars)
A highly savoury wine, with aromas of cured meats, black olive and peppercorn dominating the nose and then coursing through onto the palate. Rooibos tea, dark cocoa and just the most subtle hints of rhubarb and leather also soak through, leaving a richly complex mouthfeel behind. Mellow and warming on the finish. Sip with: Lamb … Read More
Dunleavy The Grafter Waiheke Island Syrah 2014 $45.90 (4.5 stars)
Brothers Paul, John and Mike Dunleavy are at the helm of the company alongside their father Terry Dunleavy MBE – this family have championed island syrah since the get-go. If there was a ‘Waiheke’s Got Talent’ contest, I’d DEFINITELY text in my vote for syrah. Aged for 12 months in smoky French oak, this syrah … Read More
Millars Vineyard Syrah 2014 $25 4.5 stars
Millars Vineyard Syrah 2014 $25 (4.5 stars) Take the little bendy track called Bush Lane above Mangawhai beach, and you’ll find the small but perfectly formed vineyard belonging to Ross Millar. He grows tiny amounts of darn lovely wine and this syrah is no exception. Ultra-pure peppercorn characters on the nose merge with lifted violet, … Read More
Squawking Magpie The Gravels Syrah
Squawking Magpie The Gravels Syrah 2014 The impenetrable, inky-dark colour saturation is the first thing that gets you with this wine, it’s incredibly dense, dark, a stormcloud in a glass. Perfumed with blackcurrant, cherry and pepper-dusted damson plums, the nose is exciting , spice-driven and has smoke around the edges. Elegantly structured, the core … Read More
Canvas Column Sat 2 July 2016
Julia Child once said “I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food”. She also said “Every woman should own a blowtorch”. I miss Julia. Stonecroft Gimblett Gravels Gewürztraminer 2015 $25 This organically produced wine is golden and glossy in the glass and absolutely heaves with heady spices, musky pot … Read More
Brookfields Backblock Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2015
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 … Read More
Seifried Nelson Syrah 2014
Seifried Nelson Syrah 2014 $22 ★★★½ Bright peppery aromatics, fresh plum and hints of dark cherry merge with a faint medicinal hit on the nose. Punchy and vibrantly structured in the mouth, it’s a talented teenager ready to hit his straps. Spicy, lively and could actually give some of the Hawke’s Bay syrah’s a run for … Read More