Man O' War Dreadnought Syrah 2019

Reviews

Decanter: 96/100 Tasted by: Christine Marsiglio MW, Freddy Bulmer, Roger Jones (at Decanter Tasting Suite, London, 06 Jun 2023). Christine Marsiglio MW: Powdery tannins with hints of tar alongside black cherry tart. Cured meats with fresh peppercorn on the palate, and a very savoury finish. Freddy Bulmer: Lovely inviting and vinous nose, with great purity of fruit and attractive savoury spices. The palate is silky and juicy, with just enough fresh acidity. Roger Jones: A delicate, refined nose, with violets, rosebuds, cedar and toasty notes, followed by dark brambly fruits. There’s a lovely uplifting freshness on the palate. Drinking Window: 2023 - 2033.

Bob Campbell, MW: 95/100. A rich, warming syrah with blackcurrant, blackberry, dark cherry and plum flavours plus a suggestion of spice/anise and oak flavours. Although it is accessible when first released it will develop well with bottle age. Ageing: now to 2040.

Cameron Douglas MS: 94/100. Ripe, varietal, smoky and complex. A complete wine with a core of baked raspberry and soft black curant fruits laced with dusty pepper spice. There’s a wood smoke quality with cinnamon and baking spices adding complexity and charm.

James Suckling (JamesSuckling.com): 94/100. Aromas of flowers, stems, crushed berries, black pepper and other spices. Medium- to full-bodied, fresh and creamy. Spicy finish. 15% whole cluster. Drink now.

Rebecca Gibb MW: Try this (in The Wines of New Zealand). ...consistently encapsulates everything that is good in New Zealand Syrah - dark fruit, black pepper spice and smoked-meat flavours wrapped up in an elegant, medium-weight parcel with bags of freshness on the finish.

Tasting note

The wine is gifted in the savoury elements with blue and black fruits, crushed flowers, graphite, a touch of liquorice and an earthy smoky lift. The palate is very classical with medium weight. Some sweet fruit will be evident in its youth but there is a long lean frame underneath. The tannins are influenced by stem inclusion which gives a fresh sappy introduction to the more robust seed and oak tannin.

Aromas and flavours

Additional information

Type: Red wine from New Zealand

Varietal: 100% Syrah

Food match: Match with roasted beef and venison, and slow-cooked lamb dishes or an aged cheddar, beetroot-infused dishes or red deer striploin with coal-baked beetroot and creamed horseradish.

Decanting: Recommended.

Vineyards: 20 Tonner, Mad Mans, Niko Face, Lunatics on Waiheke Island, New Zealand.

Vintage: Vintage 2019 was exceptional with a perfect fruit set in the Spring followed by a hot settled summer and practically no rain during the harvest months

Winemaking: The Dreadnought Syrah comes from steep hillside vineyards and is carefully hand harvested before delivery to the winery. Each bin is weighed separately and assigned a fermenter with all blocks kept separate and some divided into different whole bunch treatments. After a period of gentle pump overs prior to ferment the wild yeasts kick off and fermentation begins. The wines are pumped over or plunged twice a day depending on what stage of fermention they are and then once complete we revert back to gentle pump overs once a day until ready to press, generally after 35 days in vat. The wines are racked once to a blend after 22 months in barrel in preparation for bottling. Barrels: 32% New French oak Puncheons 68% seasoned.

Cellaring potential: until 2028+

Alcohol: 14.5% vol

Residual sugar: <1g/l

Total acidity: <5.9g/l

Bottle size: 0.75l

Notice: contains sulphites

Closure: Screwcap

Produced and bottled by: Man O' War Vineyards, PO Box 1287, Shortland Street, Auckland 1140, New Zealand

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