Syrah Te Whare Ra 2024

Syrah Te Whare Ra 2024 Certified Organic Syrah from Marlborough in New Zealand, which in itself is uncommon as Syrah is predominantly grown on the warmer North Island where the conditions are generally more favourable for the grapes to acheive full physiological ripeness. The 11 hectare vineyard is predominantly loam over clay with the relatively warm site and high clay content allowing the grapes to ripen sufficiently resulting a lovely lean and elegant style Syrah.

The vines for the Syrah where planted in 2004. The grapes where hand picked on 8th April 2024 and hand sorted, then destemmed and the individual berries sorted. After the cold soak and fermentation the wine is left on its skins for a further nine days and pressed according to taste rather than following a fixed extraction regime. After 24 hours it goes into French oak from several different coopers, 30% new and the remainderolder barrels. It is botlled unfined with only minimal filtration

More Northern Rhone in style than “Aussie Shiraz”. Notes of mulberry, black pepper and violet together with some savoury notes, coffee and spice. The tannins are lovely and ripe and what i would describe as polished. Critically well acclaimed, Cameron Douglas MS gave it 97 points. Finally production is tiny with only around 1800 bottles made. Get it while you can!

Te Whare Ra (TWR), pronounced Te Faré Rha (House of the Sun), is the oldest little winery & vineyard in Marlborough, being first established in 1979 in the sub-region of Renwick. Since 2003 it has been owned and operated by two vignerons – Anna & Jason Flowerday. She’s an Aussie from South Australia and he’s a Kiwi from Marlborough. Both have wine in their veins literally & metaphorically, and after years of working for other people, they decided to make the leap to doing their own thing.

Anna and Jason firmly believe that biodiversity is the key to maintaining a good vineyard. They plant between the vines and plough alternate rows. To combat pests, they use natural methods such as buckwheat, and fertilize the vineyard using their own home-made composts and manure. In the cellar they practice a hands-off approach as they seek to express the nature of their individual vineyards and sites.

The TWR wines are truly hand-made. Everything is hand-picked, hand-sorted and the attention to detail is meticulous. Anna and Jason are dedicated to making delicious authentic wines that showcase the very best of Marlborough not the mass-produced version. “Wines made with cowsh#t not bullsh#t” is their winning maxim.