Te Mata Estate Bullnose Syrah

Produced every year since 1992 (except in ’94 when a huge hailstorm wiped out all the grapes, gutted), Te Mata Estates Bullnose Syrah is simply world class Syrah and a prime example why this variety is fast becoming the next hottest thing in NZ wine.

An absolute must for your cellar collection (or heck, just drink it now) and with available stocks paper thin you’ll have to be quick. This is the latest 2023 vintage with the usual rave reviews from local critics…

5 Stars, 97/100 (Sam Kim)
“Combining impressive fruit purity with savoury nuances, the wine shows dark cherry, raspberry, violet, cinnamon, white pepper, and toasted nut characters on the nose. The palate offers excellent weight and silky flow, together with plush texture and fine, grainy tannins, making it sturdy and refined at the same time. Sensually seductive and alluring with a prolonged, captivating finish. At its best: 2027 to 2043”

5 Stars (Michael Cooper)
“This Stylish red was hand picked in the Bridge Pa Triangle and the Gimblett Gravels. Fresh elegant and supple. It is a medium to full bodied, vividly varietal wine, with strong red berry, plum and black pepper flavours, oak complexity and refined tannins. “

The best food matches here would be NZ lamb and game, or firm cheeses. If you’re wondering where the name comes from – it’s not named after a bull (or a nose!) but an early Morris Cowley car. Apparently the car’s radiator crest looks like a bull, which is the emblem they’ve slapped on the Bullnose label.