2015 Bullnose Syrah
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Tasting notes
The 2015 Bullnose Syrah has long been one of my favourite wines from Te Mata. This is laden with wild strawberry, raspberry preserve and blueberry on the nose, and quite glyceral in style - not glossy per se but certainly with enough opulence to keep you coming back. The palate is smooth on the entry and delivers plenty of ripe red cherry, cassis and blueberry notes; hints of violet emerge in the glass. It is certainly well balanced and seductive, cleverly avoiding any overripeness or alcoholic warmth on the finish. “Yummy” is not the most technical term in the vinous lexicon, yet it encapsulates this wine better than any other word.
Critic scores
Average Score
Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
Huon Hooke, The Real Review
More reviews and scores
Te Mata's 2015 Bullnose Syrah is a wonderfully fragrant, medium-bodied wine. Always one of the region's most aromatic Syrahs, it boasts hints of violets, cracked pepper and licorice strewn over a base of berry fruit. The tannins are silky and the extraction modest, so this wine is approachable young but still firm and concentrated enough to warrant cellaring for 5-7 years from the vintage.
A gratifying syrah of considerable pedigree, this 2015 Bullnose has a powerful engine, yet it purrs quietly. Aromas of dark plum, blueberry, cocoa and black olive with toasted hazelnuts on the nose. The palate delivers plush texture and outstanding fruit weight, superbly supported by velvety texture and beautifully woven silky tannins. Instantly appealing, even though this is built for the long haul, the wine combines grace and power, as well as fruit purity and savoury complexity. Drink 2019-2029 (March 2017) www.wineorbit.com
Deep purple/red colour with complex spice aromas. The palate is powerful, deep and very long-lasting, with ample soft supple tannins which persist. Superb richness, flesh and fruit sweetness balanced by great structure. Very impressive. Mar 2017, www.huonhooke.com