A $25 NZ Bottle of Syrah Ranked One of the Best in the World, Sells Out Overseas

Isaac Taylor

I’m fiercely patriotic about the things we make here in New Zealand. The few things we make here are almost always among the best in the world. We make the best chocolate (fight me), the best orc masks and the best wine. I’m sorry Europe, but after thousands of years of leeching your arid hills of nutrients, the Hawke’s Bay has got this one in the bag.

So it’s with great pleasure that my biases have been somewhat bolstered by the announcement that the US publication The Wine Enthusiast has listed the Te Mata Estate Syrah 2019 in their list of Top 100 Wines of 2021. Specifically it made it near the top of the list coming in at 13th. The Wine Enthusiast reviews 22,000 bottles every year, so Te Mata was up against A LOT of competition.

Since hitting the list it’s almost immediately gone out of stock over in the USA, however here you can still easily pick up a bottle of the $25 Syrah without having to fight anyone for it.

“We knew it was a great wine, but we weren’t expecting that result,” said Nick Buck, CEO of Te Mata Estate. “Our US distribution has gone crazy and sold out their stocks immediately. With the sea freight issues, we are working hard to get more stock to them, but it’s the locals who’ll be winning, as it’s pretty widely available here in New Zealand.”

Te Mata Estate is no stranger to accolades, making it onto the list in previous years was its heavy hitter flagship Coleraine, which fetches a pretty $125.

The Syrah 2019 was described by the Editor of The Wine Enthusiast, as “a lucid, approachable beauty. It’s a serious yet highly drinkable Syrah, especially when paired with roast lamb.”

Nick Buck adds, “This is fantastic recognition in the world’s biggest wine market of the absolute quality and value that the best New Zealand wines represent. We love our hot, dry Hawke’s Bay summers and it’s great to see these US wine judges loving the wines that come from them.”

Personally, I find only one way to celebrate this good news. Excuse me while I nip down the road to pick up a bottle.

Grab a bottle of the Te Mata Estate Syrah 2019 from Te Mata Estate’s website now.