2017 Elephant Hill Airavata Syrah

Brand	Elephant Hill
Region	Hawkes Bay
Varietal	Syrah
Size	750ml
Alcohol %	13.6%
Vintage	2017
Country	New Zealand

Elephant Hill Airavata Syrah is only made in the finest of the fine vintages. Winemaker Steve Skinner has blended Syrah fruit from their Gimblett Gravels vineyards with coastal Te Awanga fruit with a small portion of Viognier, co-fermented in the best traditions of the Northern Rhone. They also employed approximately 18% whole bunch ferment; a technique being used to great effect by the very top Hawke's Bay Syrah producers. Only very small amounts of Airavata are made, you may not be able to define the excitement in words when you taste it... but you will be utterly convinced of the excitement it delivers.

Extremely youthful and deeply aromatic, best described as brooding, the norm for great wines in their youth. Notes of smoky bacon, white pepper, red berries and blueberries.

The sheer opulence and depth of the velvety fruit is breath-taking, with an array of perfectly ripe black and red berry fruit delivering massive concentration across the palate. Incredibly fine tannins spread out to the remote corners of your mouth. It's vibrantly youthful with so much to offer, drinking Airavata any time before 2023 would be lessening the magic and greatness it holds for you if your patient – 2024 should be a starting point, peaking circa 2034+ and holding a further decade if professionally stored. Sensorial overload, meditational wine experience. Serve with all roasted red meats or savoury, pasta dishes.