WTN: Aussie Mourvedre, New Zealand Syrah

2006 Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Syrah (Hawkes Bay, NZ)
Dark purple colour with a spectacular nose that brings a young Cote-Rotie to mind showing perfumed aromas of white and black pepper, smoked meat, red and dark fruits and hints of lavender. The palate doesn't quite live up to the nose with more simple flavours of white pepper, plum and sour cherries, soft tannins, low acidity and a medium length finish that showed a little warmth as the wine warmed near room temperature (despite it being only 13.5% alcohol). This got much better with time in the glass as the flavours began to integrate on the palate and showed more length on the finish. A very enjoyable and interesting wine - I'm curious to see whether this'll come together more over the next few years (and if so, it could be stunning).

2006 Magpie Estate "The Black Sock" Mourvedre (Barossa Valley, Australia)
I believe this is about 85% Mourvedre with the balance mostly Shiraz. Either way, this ROCKS. 14% alcohol, under screwcap, reasonably priced for Singapore (44 SGD). Clear dark red colour with a nose that screams Mourvedre - with time this shows complex aromas of fresh meat, blood, red fruits, leather, plums and black pepper. Full bodied and intense on the palate with spices and dark fruits layered over flavours of leather and earth - yet this doesn't feel even slightly heavy with surprisingly good acidity underneath and chewy tannins. Seamless and perfectly balanced with a long finish, fabulous on its own and with food and a few notches above the Trinity Hill Syrah in terms of both balance and intensity. Yum. I can't wait to see how this will age.

[David M. Bueker]

The Mourvedre sounds interesting. I like Mourevedre-dominated wines, but let's face it; it's a niche market.

The Mourvedre sounds interesting. I like Mourevedre-dominated wines, but let's face it; it's a niche market.

Agreed - which is why too much good old vine Mourvedre down under just gets blended away for more marketable 'GSM' wines. Still, wines like Black Sock and Hewitson's Old Garden exist at really good prices so I shouldn't complain too much.

On an aside that Trinity Hill Syrah was quite disappointing. Really spectacular on the nose but just couldn't follow it on the palate - and it was a step down from my experiences with their 04 Syrah some time back which was a sensational wine with much more depth and balance to it.