Te Mata Bullnose Syrah 2023

Reviews

Erin Larkin, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: 94/100. The 2023 Bullnose Syrah leads with crushed rocks and rose petals, pomegranate pearls, raspberry and a shading of tapenade. In the mouth, the wine is silky and medium-bodied. A casing of dark chocolate or powdered cocoa is like a gossamer sheath over the fruit and is very attractive. As ever, this is an impressive wine.. the tannins are chalky and supple through the middle palate, and they serve to define the finish.

Stephen Wong MW (The Real Review): 94/100 & #1 of 21 2023 Syrah from New Zealand. This is a lighter expression, in keeping with the style of the vintage, but it is fresh and pure with a finesse and delicacy which is not found in warmer years. Cinnamon oak sweetness with subtle floral notes and dried rosemary are balanced by game, dark spice, and cocoa nibs. The palate is currently very young with the raspberry and blackberry flavours framed by high acidity and light fruit tannins which are supported by sweet oak. The dried herb notes carry through from the nose but melt into the plummy flavours on the finish. Slightly chewy on the back, it needs a bit of time to come together and will develop over the mid-term by virtue of its elegance and acidity. Aging: 2026 to 2035

Michael Cooper: Super Classic. This consistently classy red is estate-grown and hand-picked in the Bullnose and Isosceles vineyards, in the Bridge Pa Triangle, and the Hotspur vineyard in the Gimblett Gravels.

Tasting Note:

Bullnose Syrah ’23 is a striking crimson with a vivid purple hue at its rim. Opening with classic florals, featuring notes of spice, plum, cinnamon, violets, raspberry, and cherry. These aromas seamlessly transition to the palate, where fine, cashmere-like tannins create a harmonious texture. The interplay of complex cherry and dark plum flavours is warm, caressing, and instantly appealing.

Aromas and flavours:

Additional information

Type: Red wine

Varietal: 100% Syrah

Food match: dry

Vineyards: Bullnose Vineyard, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. First planted in 1990, the Bullnose Vineyard's old red iron soils produce Te Mata's Estate finest Syrah. Separate parcels of fully ripened syrah grapes were hand harvested from Te Mata Estate’s Bridge Pa and Gimblett Gravels Vineyards on 27 March and 4 April 2023.

Winemaking: The individual lots were each destemmed and given a traditional warm-plunged fermentation. The resulting wines underwent extended maceration on skins before pressing and then a secondary malolactic fermentation. The separate wines were then run to a mixture of new and seasoned French oak barriques for 13 months’ maturation. During this time, they were regularly topped and racked, before blending and then bottling in October 2024.

The name Bullnose: Vineyard partners Michael Morris and Peter Cowley named Bullnose after an early Morris Cowley car, nicknamed Bullnose due to its distinctive radiator. The bull emblem that appears on the label is drawn from the car’s radiator crest.

Alcohol: 13% vol

Residual sugar: dry

Bottle size: 0.75l

Notice: Contains sulfites, egg

Cellaring potential: 2033

Closure: Cork (Diam)

Produced and bottled by: Te Mata Estate, PO Box 8335, Havelock North, Hawkes Bay 4157, New Zealand.

Distributor: vinabonus GmbH, Simmedenweg 40, 34134 Kassel, Germany.