It wasn't that many years ago that you would struggle to find a bottle of New Zealand Syrah under $30.
Ranked No3 in our red-grape plantings, its 435ha are dwarfed by our overall plantings of 37,000ha, and there is nearly three times more merlot and more than 10 times more pinot noir planted.
Volume begets value-for-money offerings, so we are unlikely to see supermarket shelves groaning with sub-$15 choices, though they are becoming more commonplace. Still a work in progress, perhaps, but worth a dabble.
2016 Peter Yealands Hawke’s Bay Syrah
Price: $17
Rating: Fair to good
Perfumed notes lead the nose with hints of toffee, becoming earthy with time. Lightweight and gently subtle with savoury and earthy secondary flavours, though initially quite firm on entry.
This softens and builds in richness, offering uncomplicated and straightforward flavours.
2016 Seifried Estate Nelson Syrah
Price: $17
Rating: Fair to Good
Distinctly different, from its pinot-like colour to the notes of cherry and hard candy on the nose. This moves into red fruits and savoury notes with charry oak noticeable. A little sweet and sour interplay with brisk acidity carries into some good length.
Finishes with tart grippiness, which will be leavened by food.
2016 Mission Estate Hawke’s Bay Syrah
Price: $16.50
Rating: Good to very good
Juicy berryfruit, sweetly perfumed with a touch of char. Licorice and savoury elements tango with the dark fruits.
Initially quite chewy and grippy, crying out for food, but this opens up and fleshes out with aeration, creating a supple and red fruit-filled mid palate that offers easy drinking pleasure.
Price: $20
Rating: Very good to excellent
Attractive nose, savoury and spicy with plum, cedar and white pepper. These flavours flow on to the palate, adding red fruits while sweet fruit jube notes pop on the palate. This builds in richness rather nicely while the tannic grip frames the wine nicely, leading to a rich and satisfying dry finish.
Great value here.
Price: $20
Rating: Very good
A sweetness to the florality here, with tilled earth nuances leading into the savoury spectrum. The fruit opens up, adding plum and oak spice, while the palate has a juicy crunchiness. Brighter acidity and a little sweet and sour interplay before the wine rounds out nicely.
A fresh, lipsmacking quality and nicely tasty.
Price: $20
Rating: Good to very good
Liqueur fruits and balsamic lead the nose and palate, a floral aspect that is appealing. An elegant style with good balance bringing red fruits, boiled sweets and oak seasoning into play.
Light to medium bodied, unobtrusive tannins and a piquant element on the long finish rounds out a nice overall package.
