Mark Rattray Les Pierres Syrah

Mark Rattray’s spent 40 years in the wine industry. He’s plied his trade in Germany, France and Canada and worked for some of the big boys like Montana and Pernod. He felt a bit funny about naming the wine after himself but in his own words "I think I’ve earned it".

Mark’s a big believer in letting the grapes do their thing and let the wine do the talking, not a fancy label or team of marketing whizz kids. "Obsessing about ‘terroir’ is not mad-eyed mumbling hocus-pocus…Quite simply it is the main reason why things naturally taste differently. Ultimately, I want my wine to taste of the place it came from."

Hawke’s Bay is the place (Gimblett Gravels in case you were wondering), Syrah is the wine, 2013 is the vintage (one of the all time greats for Hawke’s Bay). And the taste? We think it’s a bright, silky, elegant Syrah with a touch of spice. Well worth busting out with dinner, game meat dishes or a cut of lamb will go just nicely.