Estate Vineyards Syrah '16 ★★★★ - 'Fruit-focused with slightly gripped tannins although they should mellow with a little bottle age.' 90/100

Syrah '15 ★★★★★ - ' The palate is succulent and silky, and displays lovely poise and purity, beautifully framed by fine tannins.' 93 Points

Estate Syrah '15 ★★★★★ - 'Very good and very much a cool-climate shiraz style.' 91/100

Estate Syrah '15 - 'Co-fermented with Viognier which seems to boost its gorgeous floral edge. Snappy black pepper notes follow leading to a polished and layered palate of supple plum and black raspberry. Tracking down that rare bottle. I pormise it's worth it.'

Estate Syrah '15 ★★★★★- ...'Fresh and lively with balanced acid and tannins and just a light, nicely judged grip on the end.' 91/100

Estate Syrah '15 - 'Beyond New Zealand's Savvies... Track down that rare bottle. I promise it's worth it.'

'With some of the country’s finest wines on its books there’s little doubt that Hawke’s Bay can produce outstanding-quality reds and whites. You’ll now find Hawke’s Bay wines in Michelin restaurants from Paris to Monaco.'

'My benchmark. Te Mata Estate is the standard by which every other wine producer could be judged. The full range of styles has always been impeccable.'

Estate Vineyards Syrah '15 - 'A resounding sense of fluidity and polish.' 92 points

'If there was Kiwi wine aristocracy, Te Mata would be it. Nestled in the foothills of the Te Mata heritage zone, they make some of the best wines in the country. Independent, family-owned, exclusively Hawke's Bay, and committed to making premium wine on site.'

Syrah '14 ★★★★★ - 'From an outstanding vintage, this youthful and gorgeous syrah shows blue/red berry, floral, spice and a hint of game characters. The palate is beautifully weighted with excellent fruit purity, leading to superbly long, silky finish. The wine is already attractive and enjoyable, although another year or two will bring out the best in this impressive wine. At its best: now to 2019.' 91 Points

Syrah '14 ★★★★ - 'Very dark, deep, purple-hued ruby-red, youthful in appearance. The nose is elegantly proportioned with concentrated and intense aromas of richly ripe blackberry and raspberry fruit, lifted with bright yellow floral notes from the Viognier. Medium-bodied, rich, sweet concentrated flavours of ripe black berried fruits are lifted by aromatic raspberry notes. This has good energy and tension, and the wine carries to a soft, densely packed, lingering finish.'

Syrah ’14 - 'Elegant, medium bodied, this is packed full of blackberry and red fruits with a thread of black pepper and Christmas spices. You’ll struggle to find a better wine for your money.'

'Estate Vineyards Syrah ’14 - bright, energetic red with fresh spice and pepper flavours. Exceptional value.'

Awatea '14 - '2013 was an outstanding vintage for New Zealand's answer to the Médoc and northern Rhône rolled into one: Hawke's Bay ... 2014 is thought of as potentially even better than the outstanding 2013.'

Estate Vineyard Syrah '14 - 'Fruity, accessible Syrah with red berry, plum and black pepper flavours plus a hint of floral character and a suggestion of fresh herbs. Great value at this price. 93 points. 4.5 stars.'

Syrah '13 - 'This was the best vintage ever in the Hawkes Bay. Wonderful fresh fruit and the palate is quite silky-smooth. It’s satisfying and pleasurable with a long finish and no hard edges.'

Estate Vineyard Syrah '13 - 'Beautiful aromatics here – lavender, allspice, and succulent red fruit. So fresh and juicy. If this is what syrah is in New Zealand, start planting.'

Syrah '13- 'This is excellent. Pure fruit aromas of blueberry and dark plum with subtle spice and floral notes. The palate is juicy and elegant with silky mouthfeel, backed by fine tannins. The wine shows wonderful balance and harmony together with perfectly ripe fruit flavours.' 91 points

Syrah '13- 'Co-fermented with a small amount of Viognier and aged 10 months in new and seasoned French oak. Very dark, deep, purple-hued ruby-red with a black heart. Aromas of black plums, cracked black pepper, violet floral perfumes and spices, the fruit pure and intense. Medium-bodied, the fruit expression is tight and restrained, with a gentle density.' 18/20 ★★★★

'Estate Vineyards Syrah ’13 - classy, characterful syrah. With a dusting of oak, sensuous plummy fruit plus a rhônesque cracked black-pepper and violet bouquet, this is a must.'

Syrah '13- 'Delicious Hawke's Bay Syrah. Juicy plum and boysenberry fruit and aromatics of rose incense, black pepper and exotic spice.'

Syrah '12- 'Svelte, spicy and very drinkable, this medium-bodied red hits the spot. The tannins are fine and the fruit is vibrant.'

Syrah '11- 'Made by co-fermenting syrah, estate-grown and hand picked in Hawke’s Bay, with a splash of viognier. French oak-aged for 13 months, it is ruby-hued, with a fragrant, peppery bouquet. A lighter style than usual, with fresh plums and spice.'

Syrah '11- 'Beautiful aromatics – lavender, allspice and succulent red fruit. If this is what syrah is in New Zealand, start planting folks.'

'Te Mata Estate - Four stars out of four. Grand and prestigious. Especially good within it’s price range.'

Syrah '09- 'A ripe, assertive nose with blackcurrant, raspberry leaf, bay leaf and wild strawberry. The palate is medium-bodied, with a supple, very harmonious finish with a dash of white pepper. Lovely.' 90 points

'Another steal. Fresh, floral and spicy with excellent depth of plum and black pepper flavours, it has a pinot noir-ish charm and drinkability.' ★★★★

'Ripe and smooth, this is mouth-pleasing with ripe berry and floral characters.'