TN: A leading NZ syrah ...

WINE TALK
21

Zee, I understand where you are at, that’s roughly where I am too.

It’s been years since I had an '05 Collina (Bilancia’s top syrah) so I can’t add much. However, English blogger Jamie Goode (the Wine Anorak) is a big fan of Bilancia generally and rates your wine: New Zealand's Vineyards, part 15: Bilancia

22

Thanks for the link, Howard. Can’t get to it now (filtered/blocked on current web access point) but I look forward to reading it later.

23

Le Sol is hedonistic; Block 14 is more subtle. When I tasted the Le Sol and Block 14 side by side from 2004 vintage, I favoured the Block 14. The alcohol on the Le Sol was a bit of a detractor.

24

Also, The Block 14 is much cheaper.

Not tasted recent vintages.

25

Have been trying a few and are yet to be convinced. To me they lack complexity and don’t seen to develop secondary flavours and aromas as they age. Glossy and modern as others have said. More in common with Cotes du Rhone than Northern Rhone. It will be interesting to see how the 2013’s will be but at $100+ it’s a big ask.

26

I find that most of the Gimblett Syrahs lack finesse/complexity (from the limited amount that I have tried, I’ve only tried La Collina in trade tastings so I don’t think I’ve given it a real chance to shine.

So far my favourite nz Syrah is Hay Paddock from Waiheke, I’m also partial to the cooler Georges Rd and Fromm (Waipara and Marlborough)

27

Sanjay, that 2004 Craggy Range Block 14 Syrah was a very good wine. I bought 6 on release and have been drinking them over the years and enjoying them. I know of several others who similarly prefer the regular Syrah (no longer called Block 14) to the more “heroic” Le Sol.

Wayne, as I see it, that’s the challenge for the top NZ syrahs. With greater vine age and less intervention in the winery, can these wines eventually compare with top Northern Rhones, having given them 100+ years head start?

Brian, that’s the exciting thing about NZ syrahs. It’s not all Gimblett Gravels. Waiheke Island is producing good examples (eg Passage Rock), as are people like Kusuda (in Martinborough). As we don’t really have the climate to consistently ripen cabernet sauvignon, syrah is hopefully our next pinot noir …

28

…I may be dead by then. [stirthepothal.gif]

29

As I said earlier the price of the high end NZ syrah vs what is in the bottle does not stack up for me.

Here are some price comparisons in NZ$. The Clape has gone up the most on the back of some big scores with 09/10 vintages. But for me these price comparisons really indicate the challenge NZ Syrah faces. The Nth Rhones are more interesting, more complex, long lived wines whereas the NZ Syrah wines are young, unproven and lack complexity.

NZ Syrah: Le Sol $100, Hommage $120, La Collina $95

Nth Rhone: Chave St Joseph $80, Gonon St Joseph $60, Jamet CR $110, Clape Cornas $130

I have not given up in NZ Syrah but I do not think these wines represent value for money.

Brodie

30

How fantastic that a thread on NZ Syrah has 28 posts!!

31

I have to agree with Brodie on the value prospect.

32

NZ is unlikely to ever produce red wines that are “good value”. Economies of scale are beyond most producers and land is expensive. So it needs to focus on high quality, which clearly takes time. In the same way as several good NZ PNs now compete well with “good” village and some 1er cru burgundy, I won’t be surprised to see some of the Syrahs do well in a few more years; but they won’t be cheap. As an aside, I had found Dry River’s Syrahs from '98-'01 to be far more interesting (bright, savoury, complex) than their PN and always wished they made their PN in the style of their Syrah. Has anyone had a Stonecroft recently? I was happy enough with those in the 90s, but really can’t recall a recent example.

33

Neil McCullum was saying the same thing at a mutual friends dinner party last night.

34

I don’t think the prospects of NZ syrah should be assessed on a few quite expensive wines or on the Gimblett Gravels. I’m especially interested in what Elephant Hill is doing (Hawkes Bay but not Gimblett) and Kusuda in Martinborough. I think both are very interesting. Sacred Hill’s The Deerslayer is another one I like to follow.

35

While I like Le Sol and especially La Collina and Homage, I do agree at the prices mentioned above they have a tough comparison with Northern rhone.

However, Te Mata Bullnose Syrah and Man O War Dreadnought Syrah are around US$30. At those prices they match up (and in my opinion beat) the equivalent offerings from the Northern Rhone, or anywhere else in the world.

36

Good golly Miss Molly…

I had no idea the top end of NZ Syrah had inflated so far. My 2005 La Collina were purchased for a few pennies under U$D 60. There is simply no way to make the math work here (for me). Northern Rhone wines are a known quantity and remain the benchmark by which all great Syrah wines are measured. Period. If NZ Syrahs cannot offer a pricing incentive relative to Northern Rhone, I’m afraid their appeal will be mostly limited to a niche of Southern Hemisphere loyalists.

I want to give them a chance to get better, if for no other reason than those that appreciate the unique greatness of French Syrahs are fishing in a relatively small pond. But to be perfectly frank, I’ve yet to try a NZ Syrah that has ever delivered the same sort of magic I’ve repeatedly experienced from Northern Rhone’s best producers, and absent any comparative value to offset my allocation of Syrah funds to France, there really is little point in a US buyer looking anywhere else. Australia has fallen out of favor in the US Syrah market and producers in California and Washington are more likely to see Syrah buyer dollars ahead of NZ, when the funds don’t go to France first. It’s a tough road to hoe for NZ Syrah producers.

37

Todd, I can scarcely believe it myself …

Zee, Homage, Le Sol and La Collina and a few other self-styled luxury priced cuvées have decided to ‘lead’ the market with this pricing. We’ll see if it works as a marketing strategy or if they can justify it. I’m not giving up yet …

As Rauno says, because it is not big production, NZ Syrah will never be really cheap. However, you can get a lot of top NZ Syrahs without paying these prices eg (some of my favourites):

  • Sacred Hill Deerstalkers (Hawkes Bay, not Gimblett Gravels) (perhaps vintage-on-vintage my favourite)
  • Elephant Hill (ditto)
  • Te Mata Bullnose (ditto) (a leading NZ producer, under NZ$40 a bottle)
  • Stonecroft (Gimblett Gravels, the pioneer, 30+ year old vines)
  • Unison (GGs)
  • Man O War and Passage Rock (Waiheke)
  • Kusuda and Dry River (Martinbrough) (I agree with Mike, the Dry River Syrah is much better than their Pinot Noir).

I’m not sure how many of these wines make it to the States and elsewhere, but they’re worth trying IMO …

Rauno, I’m having a 2010 Stonecroft with dinner and will report back …

38
  • 2010 Stonecroft Syrah Reserve Gimblett Gravels - New Zealand, North Island, Hawkes Bay, Gimblett Gravels (7/14/2014)
    Colour deep red, impenetrable. A bouquet of spice, a little black pepper and a mixture of red and dark fruits, particularly raspberries, red currants, blackberries and dark cherries. Also some mixed dried herbs and soil. On the palate, good fruit weight and depth, with some finesse. The flavours are reasonably complex: dark plums, dark cherries, blackberries, black pepper and spicy oak. With time in the glass, the profile moved more savoury, underbrush. Smooth tannins, succulent, with good acidity. A bit of tannic grip on the back, this really needs time (3-5 years at least, but will go 10 years easily). Oak 30% new, from vines planted from 1983. (91 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

39

Agreed on the homage. Had a 09 last month and it was excellent.

40

An Australian Critic Huon Hooke had written an article on NZ syrah few years ago.

Apart from the producers mentioned above there were few others which were considered good. What is your opinion of them:

No 8 Syrah
Bridge Pa reserve
Mission Reserve
Esk Valley
Trinity Hill Homage
Vidal reserve