• French oak
• Boysenberry & plum
• Crushed violets
• Refined palate

"Produced from grapes grown the renowned Gimblett Gravels, fermented with inoculated and wild yeasts in a combination of open top fermenters and French oak barrels, then aged for 17 months in French hogsheads, of which 50% were new. Medium crimson in colour with delicious aromas of plum, ripe berries, oaks spices, white pepper, and anise with hints of smoky graphite. Flavours of juicy red fruit, crushed violets and spice fill the generous palate. A medium bodied wine with dusty tannins and the prefect dash of acidity lifting the elegance of the wine off the scale. Beautiful!" Angie Atkinson, The Wine Writer

"Full, even, dark ruby-red colour with youthful purple hues, a little lighter on the rim. The nose is shy in expression and tightly bound, but unfolds to show aromas of ripe blackberry and dark raspberry fruit along with subtle notes of black pepper and violet florals, and nuances of spice and liquorice. The fruit forms a concentrated core and positive line with excellent depth and fine-grained powdery tannin extraction in support. The acidity is integrated and the flavours carry to a sdoft, spicy, peppery finish. This is a taut and concentrated Syrah with blackberry and dark raspberry fruit with fine-grained powdery tannin structure. The wine needs a couple of years to open up. Match with lamb, beef and venison dishes, and Middle Eastern fare over the next 5-7+ years. Syrah fruit from the ‘Mere Road’ vineyard, destemmed but retaining whole berries and fermented, partially with indigenous yeasts, 66% of the wine in French integrale barrel, to 13.0% alc., the wine aged 17 months in 50% new French oak hogsheads" Raymond Chan, Aug 2018

This superb Syrah from the exceptional vintage brims with intense flavour and complexity, displaying luscious boysenberry, white pepper spice and liquorice, on a beautifully integrated and refined palate. Eminently drinkable now, it will also greatly reward cellaring for longer term enjoyment.

The grapes for this distinguished wine were grown exclusively in the highly regarded Mere Road Vineyard in the celebrated Gimblett Gravels district of Hawkes Bay.

Hand-picked between 13th and 15th April 2016 at 20.8° Brix, the grapes were destemmed, retaining whole berries, which were cold soaked for 2 days prior to fermentation. Fermentation proceeded (14% wild) with selected yeast – 66% in French integrale barrel rotated twice daily, 34% in an open top fermenter plunged twice daily. Post fermentation, the wines were allowed 15 days alcohol soak before being pressed off skins and transferred to barrel for 17 months aging in quality French hogsheads (50% new). This superior wine received a light egg white fining and pad filtration before bottling on 21 November 2017 under Stelvin screwcap.

Elspeth represents the top tier of wines produced from the Mills Reef vineyards in the Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay. The fruit is hand-picked and only under the Elspeth label when fruit is of exceptional quality. The winemaking team share the philosophy of a hands-on, no expense spared approach to produce these fine award winning wines. The range is limited to chardonnay, Syrah and Bordeaux style reds.