Man O' War Dreadnought Syrah 2018 ~ Waiheke Island, New Zealand

93/100 Bob Campbell MW
93/100 CamDouglas MS
17.5/20 Jancis Robinson
95/100 Cam Douglas MS (2017 vintage)
95/100 Bob Campbell MW (2017 vintage)
93/100 James Suckling (2017 vintage)
93/100 Falstaff (2017 vintage)
92/100 Tom Cannavan (2017 vintage)
91/100 CellarTracker (2017 vintage)
Bronze - Wine Enthusiast (2017 vintage)
92/100 Robert Parker (2016 vintage)
16.5/20 Jancis Robinson (2016 vintage)

Bronze - Decanter World Wine Awards (2017 vintage)

Bob Campbell MW "Rich, intense and classy syrah with plum, dark berry, five-spice, chocolate-mocha and nutty oak flavours. A robust yet stylish wine, with a solid backbone of ripe tannins suggesting good cellaring potential."

CamDouglas MS "A developing bouquet showcasing aromas of fresh and dried red currants, raspberry and tart plums. A violet and leather quality alongside some toatsy barrel spices, anise and clove layer in complexity and depth. Delicious on the palate, reflrecting all the bouquet has to offer, firm tannins and a backbone of acidity. The dry finish highlights the tannins, but the fruit flavours and violet anise combination also leave an impression on the finish. "

Jancis Robinson "Tank sample.Meaty and peppery with rich plummy fruit on the nose. Relatively light in body. Delicately structured with a long, spicy, leathery finish. Refined and sophisticated with moderate length and a lovely savoury tone. It's so non-fruit centric! Lots of goût de terroir."

Rebecca Gibb MW "...consistently encapsulates everything that is good in New Zealand Syrah - dark fruit, black pepper spice and smoked-meat flavours wrapped up in an elegant, medium-weight parcel with bags of freshness on the finish."

Bob Campbell "Deep, dense Syrah that's jam-packed with many flavours including plum, dark berry, black pepper, a suggestion of violet, liquorice, leather and tar characters." (2017 vintage)

Cam Douglas "Immediately recognisable and seductive bouquet with aromas of blackberry and raspberry, dark plums and black pepper. The aromas expand to include clove and cocoa, toasty wood and dark dry rocky soil impressions. On the palate - dry, weighty, firm textures from tannins, warming alcohol and an abundance of acidity. Fruit flavours reflect the palate led by dark raspberry and black cherry. Persistent and engaging throughout the palate, well made and ready." (2017 vintage)

James Suckling "This has a very rich, ripe-blackberry and dark-plum nose with plenty of dark, toasted spice and black pepper. The palate is concentrated and smooth-honed with dense, fine tannins that carry a very plush, juicy and succulently long finish. Impressive purity here." (2017 vintage)

Falstaff "Dark ruby, purple reflections, faint brightening on the rim. Subtle tobacco on the nose with black cherry, red peppercorn, a hint of vanilla and cardamom in the background. Elegant, juicy palate, fine red berry fruit, pleasant, well integrated tannins and mineral with a lively structure. Delicately salty and already well developed." (2017 vintage)

Tom Cannavan " Two years older than the previous wine and a softer colour, and there's a meatiness here, briarwood, game and a little smokiness, the fruit still in the red spectrum and there's cedar too in a very classic style. In the mouth there's great sweetness and ripeness, a fleshiness to the fruit, plum flesh and a bite of cherry pits and a little stemmy wood note that fits really nicely in the picture. Rhône-ish in style for me and very good." (2017 vintage)

Wine Enthusiast "This Waiheke Island Syrah gives off a strong sulfuric, reductive aroma when first poured. But don't let that put you off. After a few minutes of swirling or decanting, it opens into something quite pretty and varietal. Juicy berry fruit mingles with bay leaf and more savory, earthy spice, with mineral and graphite brushstrokes. In the mouth, savory, granular tannins provide support to the fleshy fruit, and a roasted meat flavor pops up. There's a slightly bitter oak note to the finish, but overall this is a solid regional and varietal expression. " (2017 vintage)

Robert Parker "...continues this cuvée's run of successes. Violets, peppery spices and mulberry notes appear on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate adds flavors of raspberries, espresso and chocolate. Silky and immediately approachable, it doesn't have the richness or concentration of the best vintages." (2016 vintage)

Man O'War Vineyards is a leading New Zealand wine producer on Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf. It is known for its consistently high-quality range of wines made from grape varieties like Chardonnay, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Each small parcel of vines is carefully tended and harvested by hand, then vinified separately, fusing classic Old World techniques with innovative New World ideas.

Waiheke Island is a wine-producing region just 18km east of Auckland city. This hilly island is home to a healthy population of hippies and artists, as well as some of Auckland's most famous vineyards. Waiheke Island's specialty is elegant Bordeaux Blend wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, but Syrah and Chardonnay are also important grape varieties planted here.

Syrah is a dark-skinned red wine grape. Its origins have been popularly debated, but its modern viticultural home is unquestionably the northern Rhône Valley of eastern France. In Australia, Syrah is the flagship variety and has developed such a distinct personality that it is essentially regarded as a distinct variety, is commonly known as Shiraz.