Wine Spectator: 93 points

“Black pepper and paprika notes leap out of the glass, featuring rich, ripe, black licorice–scented huckleberry and blackberry flavors. Generous and increasingly detailed on the finish, with hints of Earl Grey tea and toasted cumin coming in on a velvety frame. Drink now through 2028.”

Review date: July 2018

Decanter: 92 points

“This translucent, deep red-purple wine is made with 25% whole-cluster fruit. It displays soft red and black fruits, with a meaty, vegetal note. The palate offers an intense, vivid cascade of red apple, blackcurrant and pomegranate, with a pithy touch and some torrefaction complexities. It’s a forceful, energetic wine of persuasive concentration, which will certainly show better in a year or two and may well then merit an even higher score. Drinking Window 2018 – 2024”

Review date: April 2018

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: 90 points

Captivating aromas of blueberries and black pepper appear on the nose of the 2015 Gimblett Gravels Syrah. It's medium to full-bodied, with almost jammy, vibrant berry fruit, silky tannins and a hint of licorice on the finish. It's a terrific introduction to the appeal of New Zealand Syrah.

Review date: February 2018