Taste the World – International Wine Selection

Taste the World – International Wine Selection. Embark on a global wine journey with this exquisite collection of premium international wines. Featuring six handpicked bottles from renowned vineyards across the globe, this selection offers a perfect balance of red, white, and sparkling varieties. Each bottle captures the essence of its region, showcasing unique flavors, terroirs, and winemaking traditions. Whether you’re a seasoned enthusiast or exploring new horizons, this collection invites you to experience the world one glass at a time. Perfect for dinners, celebrations, or thoughtful gifting, it’s a toast to the artistry of global winemaking.

1 x Brokenwood ILR Reserve Semillon 2017 ~ Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia

96/100 James Suckling
96/100 The Wine Front
95/100 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
96/100 James Suckling (2015 vintage)
95/100 Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate (2015 vintage)
94/100 Tom Cannavan (2015 vintage)
94/100 Ned Goodwin MW (2015 vintage)

Gold - Decanter World Wine Awards
Gold - 2023 Royal Adelaide Wine Show, Finlaysons Trophy for Best Semillon in show
Gold - 2023 NSW Wine Awards
Gold - 2023 Royal Melbourne Wine Awards
Gold - 2023 Royal Sydney Wine Show
Silver - Decanter World Wine Awards (2015 vintage)

James Halliday "From one of the masters of developed semillon, helped in this instance by the great semillon vintage. Its bouquet half suggests the use of oak – not true. It's a hypnotic wine, with Meyer lemon driving the citrus circus and the wheels of acidity."

Decanter World Wine Awards "Anyone trying this extraordinary wine, marked by classic Hunter cleanliness and freshness...The vines had had adequate rainfall prior to midsummer, though, and the secret to Hunter Valley Semillon is early picking. It is this that makes it an inarticulate wine in its early years – but with time comes character. After six years, you can see growing aromatic richness, as innate toasty, smoky notes begin to join the subtle lime fruits, while on the palate the structure of acidity – intense to the point of inscrutability in the early years – is beginning to deepen, to soften and to modulate towards something more aromatically resonant. During all this time, of course, the wine maintains its overall lightness and delicacy, the legacy of just 11% abv."

James Suckling "An iridescent mid-yellow flecked with green, the color of semillon from these parts nudging adolescence, little more. Loads in store, attested by a faint whiff of buttered white toast and lemon drop. The acidity, febrile and gloriously juicy, carries the flavors extremely long. The wine is typical featherweight, belied by the intensity of flavor at its core. This is exceptional. Inimitable. Benchmark wine."

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate "The 2017 ILR Reserve Semillon is already toasty and voluminous in the mouth. It leads with cold buttered toast, the distant whiff of fresh coffee, lemon myrtle, honeysuckle, grapefruit pith and brine. It undulates and courses through the long finish."

James Suckling "Such a beautifully polished and gently developed semillon with aromas of fresh lemon and lemon butter, as well as yellow grapefruit. So pure. The palate has a glazed sheen that has built up in the bottle now, and there’s fleshy lemon flavor with a discreet push of acidity below. Good ripeness and poise." (2015 vintage)

Erin Larkin, The Wine Front "The 2015 ILR Reserve Semillon is so toasty and spiced. It has sun-drenched honeysuckle (a character I saw in the 2019 Oakey Creek Semillon as well), creamed honey, sandalwood, curls of saffron, layers of leaf (an autumnal, undergrowth, lichen character that is not dissimilar to aged Champagne—a yeast autolysis thing) and exotic spices such as star anise/fennel through the finish. I like this wine so much. I am well familiar with the 2014, and each vintage retains the vineyard DNA through the seasonal fluctuations that the vines endure and thrive in. It's like the vineyard produces a structural clarity. This has a remarkable splay of flavors and textures derived from bottle age and immaculate cellaring." (2015 vintage)

Decanter World Wine Awards "Restrained aromas of toast and flint with lemony fruit. Maturing beautifully, steely and focused, super fin and bright." (2015 vintage)

Tom Cannavan "Younger vines here, around 10 years old, on sandy alluvial soil. The recipe is very similar: no oak, no malolactic, and bottled early from stainless steel. Again, that beautiful development here, adding a touch of flint to toast and lemon curd. The palate has a little more weight that the Tyrell's it feels to me (though slightly lower alcohol), and a bursting orangy brightness to the fruit. Delicious lemon jelly purity swept up in acidity in the finish, gives this salty savouriness as well as pleasing fruit brightness." (2015 vintage)

The ILR Reserve Semillon is named after Chief Winemaker and Managing Director Iain Leslie Riggs, who joined the winery in 1982. Iain has taken Brokenwood from a small ‘hobby’ winery into the national and international arena, and was the driving force in Brokenwood extending the range to white wines.The ILR Reserve Semillon is an aged white wine that receives no oak.

After tasting the wine over the first three years the decision was made to release at 5 years bottle age, in other words to have some bottle development but capable of aging further. In terms of winemaking it was a case of low (and now, zero) skin contact and neutral yeast.

Established in 1970 Brokenwood Wines is one of Australia's most reputable premium wine labels and a must-visit in the Hunter Valley. It was established by Australia's leading wine critic, James Halliday. Consistently listed as a 5 star winery, Brokenwood is home to the famous Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz, the highly acclaimed ILR Reserve Semillon, and the popular Cricket Pitch Range.

The Hunter Valley is the best-known and most highly prized wine region in New South Wales. It is known as the region where the Australian wine industry started. The valley's winemakers have pioneered two distinctive styles of wine (oaked Chardonnay and dry Semillon) and has retained a strong connection with both of them. The Hunter Valley's most famous wine style is its distinctive dry Semillon, made there since the 1870s. Hunter Valley Semillons are renowned for their ability to improve with age.

Sémillon is one of the wine world's unsung heroes. The gold-skinned grape produces France's most famous and revered sweet wines, notably Sauternes, and some of the greatest dry white wines of Australia - particulary those in the Hunter Valley.

1 x Le Clos Reyssier Premier Cru 2021 Pouilly-Fuisse - Burgundy, France

94/100 Dussert Gerber
92/100 James Suckling (2020 vintage)
92/100 Tasted Andreas Larsson (2020 vintage)
91/100 Decanter (2020 vintage)
90/100 Wine Spectator (2020 vintage)
90/100 VertdeVin (2020 vintage)
90/100 James Suckling (2019 vintage)
Bronze - Wine Spectator (2019 vintage)

1 Star - Le Guide Hachette des Vins (2020 vintage)

Silver - Decanter World Wine Awards
Gold - Chardonnay-du-Monde (2020 vintage)
Silver - Decanter World Wine Awards (2020 vintage)
Bronze - Decanter World Wine Awards (2019 vintage)

Decanter World Wine Awards "Ripe passionfruit, green apple and grapefruit with notes of buttered toast; lively, crisp and textured with a bitter orange finish."

James Suckling "Pretty nose of spiced pears, mangoes, cloves, gun flint and lemon pith. It’s medium-to full-bodied, vibrant and elegantly spiced. Flavorful finish." (2020 vintage)

Wine Spectator "Bright, harmonious and expressive, this white exhibits peach, apple and lime flavors backed by a tangy structure. Balanced and lively, with fine length." (2020 vintage)

VertdeVin "The nose is fresh, fruity and offers a certain racy minerality as well as a fine straightness. There are hints of fresh, fleshy Williams pear, golden apple and slightly kumquat, with a hint of physalis and subtle hints of lemon blossom and racy minerality. The palate is fruity and reveals juiciness, acidity, minerality, good definition, a certain gourmandize, fine tension and accuracy. On the palate this wine expresses notes of tart, juicy kumquat, mesocarp and more lightly crisp golden apple combined with fine touches of lemon blossom, verbena, fine notes of racy, iodine minerality as well as a very discreet hint of toasted almond (in the background) and a subtle touch of zest. Good length."

Le Guide Hachette des Vins "On the nose, aromas of apple, pear and lemon. On the palate, a sharp minerality. An alert and expressive wine that has the build to age well."

Decanter World Wine Awards "Rich, ripe, and oaky with savory, smoky bacon notes. Precise, with pear and white blossom and a grippy saline finish."

James Suckling "Aromas of hawthorn, dried apple, mango and flint. Some custard, too. It’s full-bodied with crisp acidity. Creamy and straightforward." (2019 vintage)

Wine Spectator "A ripe style, this evokes pineapple and butterscotch flavors; a tad soft in structure, but not flabby. Tails off on the finish." (2019 vintage)

Les Vins Georges Duboeuf is one of the largest wine producers in France founded by the late Georges Duboeuf who was affectionately known as 'le roi du Beaujolais' (the king of Beaujolais) or sometimes pape du Beaujolais (Pope of Beaujolais). Les Vins Georges Duboeuf produces a staggering 3 million cases of wine annually. The company is most well-known for its popularization and production of Beaujolais wines. In 2018 Georges’ passed control of his company to his son Franck Duboeuf, who is considered to be one of the key specialists in Beaujolais, its terroir and its wine, and has shifted production to focus more on Beaujolais Nouveau.

Pouilly-Fuissé is the home of the finest white wines of southern Burgundy's Maconnais district. They are produced exclusively from Chardonnay grapes grown in the communes of Chaintré, Fuissé, Solutré-Pouilly and Vergisson. The typical Pouilly-Fuissé wine is full-bodied, ripe and relatively elegant, with the best examples rivaling the finer wines of the Côte de Beaune. The zone currently covers around 800 hectares (2000 acres) of hillside vineyards, planted on limestone-rich clay soils over a granitic base. The 500m (1640ft) limestone escarpment known as the Roche de Solutré is located at the heart of the appellation's vine-growing area and towers over the vineyards below. The Clos Reyssié in particular is the most famous terroir in the village of Chaintré, one of the four villages in the Pouilly-Fuissé appellation.

Burgundy (Bourgogne in French) is an historic and highly respected wine region in eastern France. Burgundy wines have long had devout followers throughout the world and continue to do so today. Although Bordeaux produces about four times as much wine every year, Burgundy’s estimated 74,000 acres (30,000ha) of vineyards are considered to be of equal importance, producing some of the most exclusive wines on Earth.

Chardonnay is one of the world’s most popular grapes, Chardonnay is made in a wide range of styles from lean, to rich, creamy white wines aged in oak. Bolder, richer, full-bodied and buttery. The Domaine Pouilly Fuisse Clos Reyssie has been described to be buttery and complex, and is the perfect companion for a meal of chicken or turkey. 

1 x Château Maucoil Châteauneuf-du-Pape Trésor White (Organic) 2014 - Rhône Valley, France

90/100 Wine Spectator
90/100 Wine Enthusiast
90/100 Robert Parker

30% Grenache Blanc, 30% Clairette, 30% Bourboulenc and 10% Roussanne

Wine Enthusiast "This is a rich, toasty white Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Notes of honey, melon and pineapple mark the nose and palate, while the finish is warm and long, with lingering hints of popcorn and roasted nuts."

Jeb Dunnuck "More tropical in character with plenty of pineapple, peach and subtle brioche, the 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc Tresor des Papes is medium-bodied, beautifully textured, and lengthy with a dry finish. This shows a touch more class and purity than the traditional cuvée and should have a longer drink window as well."

The history of Château Maucoil began several centuries ago. Ancient documents state that its first occupants were Romans who set up a base for Caesar’s legions. Later, Joseph de La Pise, Lord of Maucoil and archivist of the House of Orange-Nassau, the Dutch royal family, inherited the estate and the castle which was built in 1624. From then on, winegrowing became an intrinsic part of the history of Château Maucoil.

The 45 hectares of vines in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation have been organic agriculture since 2011. Château Maucoil uses ancient methods such as furrowing, forming mounds and ploughing to tend the vineyard.

Originally from Bordeaux, the Lavau family who now own Château Maucoil, have been involved with winemaking for generations, and have had vineyards ranging from Bordeaux to Tunisia. In 1964 they were seduced by the richness and quality of the Provencal soil and settled down to make wine in the Rhone Valley.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a historic village between the towns of Orange and Avignon, in France's southern Rhône Valley. It is famous for powerful, full-bodied red wines made predominantly from the classic southern Rhône grape trio: Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. These three varieties are behind the vast majority of the appellation's red wines, although a total of eighteen are approved for use – a mix of red and white grape varieties.

Southern Rhone White Blend is a blanket term used to describe the various combinations of white wine grapes used in the southern half of the Rhone Valley. The principal varieties involved in a white wine from the southern Rhone are any combination of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier, Ugni Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Picpoul.

1 x Giant Steps "Applejack Vineyard" Pinot Noir 2022 ~ Yarra Valley, Australia

98/100 Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion
97/100 Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
96/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review
94/100 James Suckling
98/100 Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion (2021 vintage)
96/100 James Suckling (2021 vintage)
95/100 Robert Parker Wine Advocate (2021 vintage)
95/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review (2021 vintage)
95/100 The Wine Front (2021 vintage)
90/100 CellarTracker (2021 vintage)
93/100 Wine Enthusiast (2021 vintage)
96/100 Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion (2020 vintage)
96/100 Huon Hooke, The Real Review (2020 vintage)
95/100 Wine Enthusiast (2020 vintage)

5 Stars - James Halliday

2024 Top Rated Pinot Noir of the Year, Halliday Wine Companion

Gold - Australian Pinot Noir Challenge
Gold - Decanter World Wine Awards (2021 vintage)
Gold - Melbourne Royal Show (2020 vintage)

Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion "Like a Mahler symphony, all of the elements of this wine are in perfect harmony. Aromas of crushed rose petals, red and black cherries, satsuma plums and subtle hints of sandalwood and fennel fronds. There's a little charcuterie and a discreet touch of wet stone. On the palate, this is the most concentrated, structured and saline Applejack I can remember, yet you barely notice the tannins due to the core of pure raspberry and cherry fruit. There's a gentle sappiness on the long, lingering finish. Simply irresistible."

Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front "What a wine this is. It’s a bloom of fruit, it’s wild with herbs, there are sweet-sour nuances and there’s a controlled run to the finish. Winemaker Mel Chester says: ‘everything you love about pinot noir, is in this wine.’ A reductive savouriness, particularly noticeable on the finish, is the icing. This is a stunning wine. Stunning fruit, and stunning structure, and stunning length."

Huon Hooke, The Real Review "Medium-full red with a purple rim, the bouquet red and darker cherries, dusty dried-herb notes, a trace of nutty oak, a hint of liqueured cherry as it aired. There is excellent intensity and volume of flavour, allied with good structure thanks to well shaped tannins, the finish long and the flavour and structure finish right out. Superb pinot noir."

James Suckling "Really delicious....The semi-carbonic approach exudes floral perfumes, red to blue pastille, red apple skin and rosewater. Mid-weighted, sappy, nicely crunchy and joyous. An earlier drinking wine in the context of the site."

Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion "A deep, bright, crimson purple. Maraschino cherry into plum, there's an exotic and riotous amalgam of Asian five-spice and a gentle savoury, umami character. What elevates this vintage is the concentration, along with Applejack's trademark perfume and spice. Just so vibrant and fresh on the palate, the tannins are both silky and plentiful." (2021 vintage)

James Suckling "Brashly spicy and complex, this has aromas of espresso, blueberries, toasted spices and grilled bread, as well as forest wood and violets. The palate delivers alluring depth and a round, fleshy build. Acidity explodes on the finish, releasing fresh red-cherry and blueberry fruit flavors. Wonderfully layered and complete." (2021 vintage)

Robert Parker Wine Advocate "This shows wonderful clarity and poise—it is precise and layered with energy and life. The acid pulses through the phenolic texture in the mouth. It was originally a sparkling vineyard, down the hill from Wombat Creek, situated in an eastern-facing bowl that captures the morning sunlight. Mel Chester (head of winemaking and viticulture) talks about the smell of the tea trees in the vineyard, explaining that "there's always a couple of Wedgetail eagles circling, it's a magic place." The evocative description of the vineyard carries through into the wine, which shows a satisfying, delicious resolution of plump ripe fruit and beautifully resolved tannin." (2021 vintage)

Huon Hooke, The Real Review "Mid-light purple-red colour, bright and youthful, with aromas of mixed spices, raspberry, smoky oak and charcuterie, gentle palate texture and pleasingly drying tannins at the end. Excellent intensity. A nice touch of fruit sweetness at the heart of it, then a drying flush of fine tannin moves in. Delicious pinot. " (2021 vintage)

Wine Enthusiast "From the highest elevation of this winery's single vineyards, this vintage of Applejack is rounder and creamier than Giant Step's other Pinots. Succulent cranberry and strawberry fruit is accompanied by white pepper, florals, umami and savory spice. With a mouthcoating texture, the savory tannins tug gently on the pure, fresh red fruit." (2021 vintage)

Decanter World Wine Awards "Quite complex and perfumed bouquet of lovely woody notes, ripe raspberry fruit and hints of smoky bacon. Silky and precise, with gentle tannins." (2021 vintage)

Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion "Pinot purity right here, folks. There’s a certain precision and definition too. A delightful combo of joy and complexity: rhubarb and freshly grated beetroot, sweet red cherries, florals and warm spices, with the oak neatly tucked in. Superfine tannins, laser-like acidity and terrific length seal the deal." (2020 vintage)

Huon Hooke, The Real Review "Bright, medium to full red/purple colour with a sweetly raspberry-like aroma, a lovely fragrant perfume. Rose petals and pot-pourri. Light to medium-weighted, with a fine sheen of tannins contributing a nicely tailored firmness to the structure. A wine of real finesse." (2020 vintage)

Wine Enthusiast "Grown on clay-loam soils, with tough ironstone rocks running through, this wine is the most savory and brambly of Giant Steps's single-vineyard Pinots. A thicket of red and blueberry fruit entwines with white pepper and other savory spices, dried roses and meaty bass notes. In the mouth, fleshy fruit is again met with lovely spice, cinched by fine tannins. " (2020 vintage)

Peter Forrestal "Steve Flamsteed is a man of many talents with a finely tuned palate, an instinctive flair for winemaking and fastidious attention to detail. This shows particularly in the stunning single-vineyard chardonnays and pinots of Giant Steps: distinctive wines that reflect their sites and glow with impeccable finesse” (2016 vintage)

Giant Steps is a privately owned, estate based, Yarra Valley grower and winemaker. Giant Steps has forged a reputation for delivering some of Australia’s most consistent, over-performing, varietal wines. These wines have received global acclaim and established a strong reputation in restaurants and fine wine stores around the world. Since 2003 Giant Steps wines have collectively been awarded 19 trophies and over 50 gold medals at major international and domestic wine shows and have been named one of the Top 100 Wineries in the World by Wine & Spirits Magazine, US for each of the last three years.

Owner Phil Sexton came to wine via beer. He started Little Creatures, a favourite of Aussie hopheads, in Perth (Western Australia). Yarra Valley is a region with a cool climate, best known for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Yarra Valley is an hour’s drive east of Melbourne. Applejack Vineyard was planted in 1997 by highly respected viticulturist Ray Guerin Today it is meticulously managed by his son Mark.

Applejack Vineyard is situated in the Upper Yarra Valley, to the south-east of the traditional valley floor. The higher altitudes result in cooler growing conditions - ideal for Pinot Noir. Applejack Vineyard is located on a dramatic, north-east-facing slope with close-planted vines. This vineyard was purchased by Phil Sexton in 2013.

Pinot Noir is the dominant red wine grape of Burgundy, now produced in wine regions all over the world, including western Germany, northern Italy, Chile, South Africa, Australia and, perhaps most notably, California, Oregon and New Zealand.

The essence of Pinot Noir wine is its aroma of strawberry and cherry (fresh red cherries in lighter wines and stewed black cherries in weightier examples), underpinned in the most complex examples by hints of forest floor. Well-built Pinot Noirs, particularly from warmer harvests, also exhibit notes of leather and violets, sometimes approaching the flavor spectrum of Syrah."

1 x Clos Louis Maury Red 2014 - Languedoc-Roussillon France

Winemaker "The color is slightly evolved garnet. The nose is expressive, on candied cherry, cocoa, incense, sweet spices. The palate is round, opulent, generously displaying a soft substance of unreal sweetness. Aromatically, we remain in the world of cherry and chocolate, but we do not feel any heaviness thanks to a beautiful underlying freshness."

Black Grenache, Syrah and Carignan

In the historic region of Roussillon, France, two prestigious winegrower families, The Cazes and Batlle families carry on their familiies traditiion of wine making since the late 19th century. Their latest addition, Le Clos Louis, takes up the legacy.

"Le Clos Louis" is the confidential project of Bruno Cazes. On 1.5 hectares and a black shale terroir, he produces a single high-end cuvée, up to 6,000 bottles a year. This is one of Roussillon's best kept secrets." La Passion du Vin

Le Clos Louis, is a significant vineyard, and lies near the iconic Cathar castles and the charming village of Maury, one of the oldest appelations in Roussillon, designated in 1936. This well-kept vineyard, situated on a single hillside, is shrouded in family secrets. Its unique soil, composed of secondary schistous marl, allows the roots to reach deep for vital moisture. The black shales retain warmth during the day and release it at night, ensuring optimal grape ripening conditions.

Dedicated to tradition and quality, the winegrower family upholds their noble profession, with each bottle of wine reflecting the essence of their land and heritage. With Louis at the helm, they continue to produce wines that embody the history and character of the region.

Côtes Catalanes is a significant IGP in southern France's Languedoc-Roussillon region, coinciding with the Pyrénées-Orientales department. It embraces diverse grape varieties and allows for a range of wine styles. The IGP covers a wide range of terroir that can be broadly described as Mediterranean, with garrigue-covered hills and a hot, dry climate. The poor, dry soils are well suited to viticulture, forcing vine roots to travel deep into the soil to find water. Low rainfall leads to a concentration of flavors in the grapes.

Most of the vineyards lie on east-facing slopes that are open to marine influences. Sea breezes help to refresh vineyards during the hot, sunny days, and winds from the snow-covered caps of the Pyrenees cool vineyards at night, ensuring grapes develop acidity along with flavor.

The classic Mediterranean varieties – Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsaut and Carignan – dominate the wines made under the denomination, and as such enjoy the best vineyard sites. "

Grenache is a red-wine grape grown extensively in France, Spain, Australia and the United States and is one of the most widely distributed grapes in the world. Grenache is the French name for the grape, but it has a number of synonyms. In Spain, where it is one of the country's flagship varieties, it is known as Garnacha, and on the island of Sardinia it has been known for centuries as Cannonau. In France, Grenache is most widely planted in the southern Rhone Valley and throughout both Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon. It is most commonly found alongside Syrah and Mourvedre in the classic Southern Rhone Blend (notably in Cotes du Rhone wines), and is the main grape variety in Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

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.

Carignan (also known as Mazuelo, Bovale Grande, Cariñena, Carinyena, Samsó, Carignane, and Carignano) is a red grape variety of Spanish origin that is more commonly found in French wine but is widely planted throughout the western Mediterranean and around the globe. Along with Aramon, it was considered one of the main grapes responsible for France's wine lake and was a substantial producer in jug wine production in California's Central Valley but in recent years, it has been reborn as a flagship wine for many cellars in the south of France as well as in Catalonia.

1 x Te Mata Bullnose Syrah 2018 ~ Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

97/100 Sam Kim
96/100 Huon Hooke
96/100 Cameron Douglas
95/100 The Wine Front
90/100 Decanter World Wine Awards
16.5/20 Jancis Robinson

Te Mata Estate is regarded as one of New Zealand’s most important wine producers

Sam Kim "The palate is concentrated, focused and delightfully flowing with outstanding depth and intensity, while remaining elegant and poised, leading to an extremely long expansive finish. Harmonious, seamless and flawlessly precise. Combining exquisite refinement and undeniable power, this latest offering is another stunning beauty under this iconic label...The gorgeously perfumed bouquet shows Black Doris plum, sweet raspberry, violet, olive and toasted almond characters with a whiff of fragrant spice. "

Jancis Robinson "Confected black fruit, finely layered tannins, a touch of bacon and smoke on the finish. Dry, savoury, meaty persistence."

Cameron Douglas "A great bouquet, the fine nose of Syrah with white and black peppercorn, roses and lavender, a core of red currants, black cherry and Doris plum, some sweet olive and new leather. Firm, youthful and dry with an abundance of tannins and acidity."

Decanter "A very modern take on Syrah which turns up the chocolate and cappuccino characters to create a rich and silky wine. There’s dark cherry and ripe raspberry fruit to balance the roasted coffee tannins with an acid spike. Extended skin contact and a warmish fermentation have given this depth and elegance."

Gary Walsh "Ras el hanout (راس الحانوت) is a spice mix that means ‘head of the shop’, and maybe we have a bull in a shop here, such is the level of exotic spice and perfume pumping out of the glass. In with that, some lavender and vanilla, cherry and redcurrant, a smattering of green herb too. It’s light to medium-bodied, fine emery tannin, juicy raspberry acidity and flavour, inner-mouth perfume and spiced wood aromatic, and a dusty white pepper texture and taste on a cool long finish. Nice and ‘minerally’ too. You have to like them spicy and lithe, and if so, this’ll be close to the top of the shop for you."

Huon Hooke "...a pronounced spicy, peppery aroma, the palate sweet rich and deep in very elegant, classy fruit flavour. The tannins are ample and refined, balanced and the wine is overall delicious. Black pepper, subtle cloves and other spices. It has a core of fruit sweetness that is utterly delicious."

World of Fine Wine 'Getting to know a legend' "A visit to one of the world’s greatest fine-wine estates should be an integral part of any tour of New Zealand. On the East Coast of New Zealand’s North Island is the independently owned, family-run, Te Mata Estate. Owners and staff still work on vineyards that began growing Cabernet, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir back in the 1890s, making it the country’s oldest wine estate. Since 1905, this winery has been winning gold medals globally, which led to these sites becoming the country’s first to be protected by law due to their viticultural history...Te Mata Estate wines are currently available in 45 countries and have been presented at some of the world’s top tables— including to President Barrack Obama, President Xi Jinping, and Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee."

Raymond Chan "Te Mata Estate was the standard by which every other wine producer could be judged against, as the full range of styles has always been impeccable. In the earlier days, Hawke’s Bay was the scene of New Zealand’s quality wine, so it was very apt to have Te Mata Estate as the point of reference. Even when other regions developed, and Marlborough grew larger, and other varietals such as Pinot Noir became important, one could understand the state of the New Zealand wine industry by how Te Mata Estate behaved or reacted to influences, whether internal or international."

Te Mata Estate is regarded as one of New Zealand’s most important wine producers. It is New Zealand's oldest winery, oldest wine estate and has the oldest winery cellars in the country - in continuous operation since 1895. Coleraine is Te Mata's most acclaimed wine and is often regarded as New Zealand's best red wine.

Hawke's Bay is located on the east coast of the North Island in and around the cities of Napier, Hastings and Havelock North. This historic region has New Zealand's second-largest wine industry (after Marlborough) and is highly regarded for its red Bordeaux Blend wines. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Chardonnay are all planted widely across the region. Over the years, the region has won international acclaim for its very high-quality Bordeaux-style reds and full-bodied Chardonnays. Syrah, produced in a classic European style with strong black-pepper flavors, is another grape variety thought to have great potential 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.