Paritua Syrah 2021

Reviews

Bob Campbell, MW (The Real Review): 95/100. Dense, fruity syrah with cassis, blackcurrant, dark chocolate, liquorice, black pepper and spicy oak flavours. Surprisingly accessible wine that should develop well with bottle age. Drinking 2023–2033.

Cameron Douglas MS: 93/100.  Bright, youthful, fresh and engaging bouquet of Syrah with an immediate flourish of fresh red berries, lees spices, a touch of white pepper and red currant. Following this are scents of red flowers and some barrel spice qualities. Very youthful and quite taut on the palate with acidity fresh new berry flavours dominating. Firm tannins and judicious use of oak appeal. Well made and ready to imbibe from 2024 through 2029.

James Suckling (JamesSuckling.com): 93/100. Crushed black and white pepper on the nose with blueberry and black berry aromas following through to a medium body with crunchy fruit and a fresh and vivid finish. Sustainable. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

Tasting note

A fragrant aroma of violet, black plum, black cherry and blueberry with hints of black pepper, 5 spice and cocoa with a hint of musk and thyme underlining the complex bouquet. This is a beautifully balanced and complex wine with black cherry and sweet prune, cocoa powder and black olive flavours are supported by a silky textured palate with firm but fine grained tannins, and a hint of smokey oak giving this Syrah great structure and length.

Aromas and flavours

Additional information

Type: red wine from New Zealand

Varietal: Syrah

Food match: Enjoy with BBQ pork ribs, stews, red meats, game dishes & salmon.

Alcohol: 13% vol

Residual sugar: < 1g/l

Bottle size: 0.75l

Notice: contains sulphites

Vineyards: Paritua Vineyard on Maraekakaho Road, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. The vines are managed to crop light and have good fruit exposure. Fruit thinning takes place to one bunch per cane to maximize ripening potential. Harvest is all by hand once the grapes have achieved physiological ripeness.

Winemaking: Whole bunches are destemmed and partially crushed. Paritua aim for about 20% whole berry in the tank. After several days the ferment is started and kept under 30°C. Regular pump-overs will keep the cap submerged and extract the fine skin tannins present in this wine. Malo-lactic fermentation takes place in tank during maceration. The wine undergoes elevage for 12 to 14 months in a mix of Barriques and Puncheons, it is racked once before bottling the year following harvest. Paritua use French oak barriques and puncheons of which 50% are new.

Cellaring potential: until 2032+

Closure: Screwcap

Produced and bottled by: Paritua Vineyards, 2112 Maraekakaho Road, Rd 1, Hastings, New Zealand.

Distributor: vinabonus GmbH, Simmedenweg 40, 34134 Kassel.

You love Syrah? Browse the Syrah assortment here.