The Syrah variety performs extremely well in Gisborne, judging from the examples I’ve tasted over the years, For some time, it was thought that Merlot may be the best red variety for the region, and indeed the most planted red is Merlot with 73 ha of the 1,350 ha total. Pinot Noir is after that, with around 40 ha, mostly destined for sparkling. Syrah comes in at a lowly <1.5 ha officially, but as with other regions, this is from a small base. I believe there is considerable potential for Syrah in Gisborne. It appears to perform well in a wide range of growing conditions and seasons, producing creditable wine, where other reds would fail to do so.
Steve and Eileen Voysey planted Syrah from the start of their Spade Oak venture, and the variety appears in the top-end ‘Vigneron’, innovative ‘Heart of Gold’ and value ‘Voysey’ ranges. The latter has been a runaway success, and for the 2017 vintage, all the Syrah went into the ‘Voysey’ tier. Here, I review the new release 2017 Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Syrah, made from what many deem a very challenging vintage, but one that Steve and Eileen are very pleased with the resultant wines. www.spadeoak.co.nz
