2024 Te Mata Bullnose Syrah

95 POINTS

Gary Walsh - The Wine Front

Around 20 something percent new oak here, and winemaker Phil Brodie says he’s interested in pulling it back even further. The Bullnose Vineyard surrounds ex winemaker Pete Cowley’s house. I’m not sure why it’s called Bullnose. Funny sort of name for a vineyard, albeit a good one. Seems I keep missing vintages of this wine. Did not taste the 2023, though I always get a look at Coleraine, so that’s the main thing. Red and blue fruit, cracked pepper, jasmine perfume, nutmeg and biscuit spices. Medium-bodied, a fine dusty feel to tannin including a bit of the old emery board, bright acidity, juicy red and blue fruit, toasted hazelnut and quite some spice, finishing long with a firm graphite grip to tannin and a savoury flourish. It has concentration and power, though it’s light on its feet. Needs a few years more in bottle, ideally.