Syrah Bullnose, Te Mata Estate 2024

Wild aromas of game and dark berries with hints of crushed stones, tobacco, flint, five spice powder and hazelnuts. Medium-bodied with very polished and refined tannins that caress the palate and give length and verve to the wine. Lovely caressing finish. A ringer for a Northern Rhone. Drinkable now but will improve with age. Drink or hold.

A cracking syrah from Bridge Pa triangle and the Gimblett Gravels, destemmed, malo in tank then to barrel. Bright magenta/crimson in the glass with sexy satsuma plum, blueberry and black cherry fruits cut with hints of Medina spice, gentle black pepper, rose petal, dried citrus rind, bresaola, crushed riverstone and a murmur of crushed herbs. Slender and graceful with a beautiful long draw of flavour, powdered riverstone tannins and an impressive mineral cadence. Such beautiful drinking and plenty of cellaring upside.

The 2024 Syrah Bullnose is firm and fragrant. Fully ripe and sweetly fruited but with a cool edge to its youthful vibrancy, the 2024 is midweight at most but packs a lot into its febrile core. The bouquet is highly aromatic with red berries, licorice and sprinklings of clove, pepper and sandalwood. Tannins are well judged and relatively mellow thanks to long maceration, making for a good foundation. The cuvée's characteristic firm sapidity pushes through on the spiced, scented finish. I suppose you could open it now, but there's more to come. This showed best on the third day after I opened it. Drink 2026-2038.