I am personally a massive fan of NZ syrah and feel that it doesn’t get the credit it rightfully deserves. It holds a slightly underdog status when it comes up against our king of red – pinot noir. There is something about the mix of dark fruit, spice and smoke that is altogether beguiling. In a good year, syrah is bottled joy and what a great couple of vintages Aotearoa New Zealand had in both 2020 and 2021. Syrah from these vintages were described by head judge Simon Nunns as “wines for the ages” and it’s clear to see that the other judges were of similar minds and palates with nine of our Top Ten hailing from these vintages. The Top Ten is nothing less than an embarrassment of riches and we invite you to be bewitched by the very best syrah New Zealand has to offer.