Cuisine Magazine has rated it 5 stars and 3rd overall out of 44 NZ Syrah’s. They had this to say about it: 

“Central Otago Syrah’s are not a common breed, and wines like this make you wonder why. Lifted florals (violets) and spice scents lead through to an energetic mouthful where the dark fruit is as pure as a tree-ripened plum. The tannins are fine and a little assertive, but the overall complexity and verve are compelling. Try it with Moroccan spiced lamb.”

Bob Campbell also rated it 90 points on The Real Review.

For us, we're super excited to finally be able to tell you about it!

Matt and the winemaking team decided to attempt a Syrah after taking on a vineyard planted in the variety. They were excited for the challenge, having all had other experiences making Syrah, but never for the Mt Difficulty label. Born of Bendigo, Central Otago, our Ghost Town vineyard sits high in altitude. It does however, get the most hours of sunshine with little blocking it from making the most of the long Otago summer days. Despite this, picking was later in the season as the grapes needed to be very ripe, almost puckering, to move past the strong pepperiness that can come with unripened fruit.

Although the wine is made in a relatively Pinot-esque fashion (we are Pinot makers after all), a lot of experimenting went into this Syrah. Notably, the winemaking team enjoyed playing with different amounts of whole bunches; one batch was 100% whole bunch; another had 30% whole bunch; and a third had none. The resulting wine is a blend of the three. 

We think this is a delicious wine! It’s dominated by cassis, blackcurrant and sweet rose petal notes that sit alongside cassia bark and spice elements in the background. These same sweetly scented blackcurrant characters introduce the wine, followed closely with a touch of pepper bringing warmth. This flows into a lovely line of tannin, the finish marked with coffee-malt characters.

We hope you enjoy this limited release Syrah as much as we have enjoyed producing it !

Click here to go purchase !! 

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