Aotea Nelson Syrah 2018

91 Points - Cameron Douglas MS, The Shout NZ, August 2020
90 Points - Bob Campbell MW, © The Real Review, therealreview.com

Vineyard: Seifried Brightwater vineyards
Sugar at Harvest: 23.8˚ Brix
Date of Harvest: Mid April 2018
pH of Wine: 3.68
T.A of Wine: 5.7g/L
Suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans: Yes

Our Brightwater vineyard is situated 15 km from the coast and is sheltered from the south by the Richmond ranges. The ‘soil’ is a combination of rocks and boulders, which is very hard on the farm equipment, but vital for holding the warmth of Nelson’s sun and for ripening grapes.

The Brightwater Syrah vines are grown in an extremely stony area of the vineyard where water and nutrient levels are low. This helps us to restrict plant vigour and to crop at low levels. To further enhance the aromatics we removed leaves to allow light penetration and air movement around the fruiting zone.

The grapes were hand harvested at the peak of ripeness in mid April and quickly transported to the winery. Grapes were then de-stemmed and inoculated with yeast for fermentation on skins. Fermentation continued for two weeks with the ferment being plunged twice daily throughout this period. Following ferment, the young wine was transferred to a mixture of new, one and two-year-old French barriques where it stayed for 13 months while undergoing malolactic fermentation and barrel maturation.