2022 Helio Syrah

Brand	Helio Wines
Region	Hawkes Bay
Varietal	Syrah
Size	750ml
Alcohol %	13.0%
Vintage	2022
Country	New Zealand

How Helio Happened’ is a love story of great Chardonnays and the passion to create one. Matt Kirby and Dave Nash met while filming ‘A Seat at the Table,’ celebrating NZ’s Chardonnay. With Sarah Little, a former Felton Road winemaker, they dreamed of starting their own brand. Over glasses of Chardonnay, they decided to showcase Hawkes Bay’s excellence. Named after the sun (Helios in Latin), symbolizing perfect ripeness, Helio embodies the region’s optimal sunshine for exceptional wine. Luckily for us they do not only make Chardonnay, and this Syrah is equally as superb.

It’s clean, light, and perfumed with violets and roses. A hint of mint lurks in the background, we relate this to the aroma from the Cyprus trees that are dotted around the vineyard.

The palate is one of the most interesting parts of enjoying Helio Syrah, it adds to the nose rather than just copy & pasting it. Mouth-watering high acid is met with peppery-gamey tannins that harmonise as a platform for the juicy bramble of black and dark red berry fruit with black forest chocolate and cherries. The peppered game continues on the long finish with a touch of smokiness, the taste of a perfectly glazed feast. Drinking well now through 2028 and for optimal drinking pleasure, the recommended serving temperature is 16-18 degrees.