Te Mata Syrah Estate Vineyards 2021

Te Mata Estate traces its winemaking in Hawke's Bay to 1854 and is regarded as one of New Zealand's leading producers. This Syrah comes from the estate's own vineyards on the free draining gravel and alluvial soils of the region. Hawke's Bay is one of the warmest and driest parts of the country, and those stony, low vigour soils store daytime heat and drain well, ripening Syrah fully while the maritime setting keeps acidity and preserves the grape's peppery aromatics. The wine is aged in French oak barrels, which soften the tannin and add a spiced frame through gradual oxygen exchange, integrating the ripe fruit without dominating it. The style sits closer to the northern Rhone than to a warm climate Shiraz, with structure and freshness alongside the ripeness. The colour is deep ruby. The nose shows ripe blackberry and plum with black pepper, dried herbs and a floral edge. The palate is medium to full bodied at 13.5 percent, with firm, fine grained tannin and a long, peppery, savoury finish. Serve at 17 degrees, ideally decanted. It suits red meat, lamb and game.