Syrah and shiraz are different names for the same red grape variety - shiraz from Australia and syrah from New Zealand and France.
Typically, Australian shiraz is rich, slightly jammy, sometimes hints of eucalypt and is often hard to beat for value, while New Zealand syrah is eppery, hints of raspberries and dark chocolate, and has a characteristic purity of fruit.
BEST UNDER $20
$19.99
Look for "reserve'' on the label of this mass market brand - it's a crowd pleaser with spicy oak, soft berry fruit and a hint of raspberry jam, but with nice dark undertones and a lively finish. Sometimes found on special.
Good value
Three stars (out of five)
BEST VALUE
$25
This is fragrant with ripe, dark berry fruit supported by savoury tones and spicy oak, but it's the depth and breadth of flavour, the purity of fruit, intensity, fine-grained tannins and long aftertaste that lift this above many other Hawkes Bay syrahs at this price.
Good value
Four stars
$24
A light, peppery wine but with underlying dark fruit, a hint of toast, and a bright, lively finish.
Below average value
Two stars
$25
A hint of pepper, earthy undertones, spicy oak and suggestions of dark berries, raspberries and dark chocolate, this has a pleasant, crisp, dry finish.
Below average value
Two stars
$37
This is fragrant, savoury and peppery with soft berry fruit and a hint of dark chocolate, but the purity of fruit and the fine-grained tannin structure lift this wine above many of the others.
Below average value
Three stars
$120
At this price you expect something stellar, and this wine's distinction is more in its finesse, elegance, silky texture, harmony and persistence than in showiness (apart from the heft of the bottle). With 9% viognier, it is lively with underlying dark berries, suggestion of mineral, purity of fruit, firm structure and long, mellowed finish.
Below average value
Five stars
ANOTHER GLASS
$32
It's perhaps unfair to taste this with syrahs, as it's a blend of 40% merlot, 30% syrah, 30% cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. The blend directs the fruit flavours towards the red rather than the dark spectrum, a hint of herbs give an exciting lift, and a firm structure gives a lively finish.
Below average value
Three and a half stars
Although wine sent for review is tasted blind to eliminate preconceptions, all wine tasting and evaluation is subjective. These are personal recommendations. charmian.smith@odt.co.nz
Two stars - simple, clean, enjoyable wine; three stars - good wine with varietal characteristics; four stars - very good wine with some outstanding characteristics; five stars - outstanding wine with balance and harmony that leaves you with a sense of wonder.
