Hawke's Bay winery Te Awa earns record highest equal score ever for a NZ syrah

Te Awa has earned the highest equal score (93 points) ever for a New Zealand syrah in the highly influential US publication Wine Spectator, just released.

The result for Te Awa is hugely significant because it shows the Wine Spectator has recognised New Zealand can make other red varietals than pinot noir.

Te Awa general manager Ant Mackenzie said it was a massive boost for Hawke’s Bay and the potential of New Zealand syrah.

``Only four New Zealand wines have done better (94 points) than this in the past 23 years and none of them were Hawke’s Bay reds.

``Wine Spectator judges said the Te Awa syrah was a dynamic red, focused and elegant...``spreading a blanket of black pepper over a core of blackberry, currant and licorice flavours that keep kicking through the long, vivid finish: best from 2011 through 2017.’’

David Strada, the US marketing manager for New Zealand Winegrowers, said the Wine Spectator’s score was just further confirmation that New Zealand and Hawke’s Bay can produce first-rate syrah.

Simon Buck, Te Awa’s US Agent, said the result was fantastic not only for Te Awa but also for Hawke’s Bay in general.

``Wine Spectator magazine is hugely influential in the US market and a result like this is further confirmation of the potential for Hawke’s Bay red wines. I expect this wine will sell out overnight,” Buck said.

Te Awa was one of nine chardonnays to win gold at the Air New Zealand Wine Awards last November and last month received two more gold medals at the Royal Easter Show wine awards in Auckland.

Mackenzie arrived at Te Awa last year after winning a fistful of awards as Spy Valley’s chief winemaker in Marlborough for many years.

Te Awa is owned by Julian Robertson, who also owns the Dry River label and the Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers luxury lodges.

From being an exposed gravelly old Hawke’s Bay river bed to making one of the best wines in New Zealand, Te Awa is clearly back on the national stage again after several years of uncertainty, as endorsed by its recent gold medal result and now by the Wine Spectator.

Established in 1992 by the Lawson family, Te Awa is sited on the renowned Gimblett Gravels premium winegrowing region. The land, once an older river bed area, used to be used for grazing years ago and was part of the original Longlands Station.