Te Mata Bullnose Syrah 2019

Established in 1896, Te Mata Estates remains family owned, producing internationally recognised wines exclusively from its historic, Hawke's Bay vineyards. 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. Separate parcels of fully ripened syrah grapes were hand-harvested from Te Mata Estate’s Bullnose, Hotspur and Isosceles Vineyards. 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 14 months’ maturation. During this time, they were regularly topped and racked, before blending and then bottling in October 2020.

Brilliant amethyst with a deep black core, Bullnose Syrah ’19 glimmers with raspberry, ripe black cherry, and dried strawberry over lush velvet tannins. There are grace notes of black pepper, chocolate, liquorice, lilac, even char and baking spices, with the structure and elegance contributing to undeniable ageing potential. Ripe-fruited. Taut. Silky. Bullnose Syrah ’19 is utter class. A black velvet beauty. CELLARING POTENTIAL Bullnose ’19 is closed with a Diam, allowing continued evolution in bottle for 15 years from harvest.

Pretty, floral, red and black fruit, a sneaky grid of pepper, dried roses and violet. Medium-bodied, concentrated, a little liquorice and spice, nutty, dense and clenched, very graphite and ‘mineral’ character, beef stock and meaty flavours too, and a long finish packed with silty tannin, coffee bean and violet. Beautiful Syrah here. All just so. - Gary Walsh, The Wine Front, 95 Points

The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - Shiraz
Country - New Zealand
Region - Hawkes Bay
Vintage - 2021
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 13.5%