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The 2023 vintage in Marlborough turned out to be exceptional, producing grapes, and ultimately wine, of incredible quality, although it certainly didn’t always look that way. Spring 2022 started with good weather leading to a successful flowering and reasonable bunch numbers. From January onwards the weather was quite mixed, with showers and inconsistent temperatures, however the grapes came through in good order and the last two weeks prior to harvest had perfect conditions for slow, perfect ripening with cool nights and warm days.
Our Syrah vines were planted in 1990, making them some of the oldest in Marlborough, and they are still on their own roots. These vines naturally crop very low given their age and being on their own roots. Yields were so low in 2023 that we only made 42 doz of this wine. It was picked on 9 April 2023, destemmed and given a warm fermentation, before being aged for almost 11 months in French oak; 50% new. It was bottled on 22 February 2024.
Velvet, carmine and ruby in colour, the nose abounds with dark berry fruits, spice, herbs and enticing florals including dark roses and violets. The broad palate is elegant and mouth-coating with black pepper, spice, cassis, dark plums and blueberries. It is complex, smooth, and mouth-filling with fine-grained tannins, well balanced acidity, restrained oak and moderate alcohol. The finish is long, smooth and perfectly poised. There is the promise of considerable aging potential and undoubtedly this wine will develop even greater complexity with time.
Technical notes
Alcohol: 12.82%, Acidity: 5.2, PH: 3.58, Residual Sugar: 0.
Reviews
Perfumed, sweetly fruited, spice, a wisp of toffee. Real juiciness to the fruit, freshly crushed summer berries, more medium-weighted, open for business with real drinkability, feeling ready to enjoy now. Air time brings a change as this gathers weight and depth, spice notes, a cooling feel to it, showing the more serious side of its charms. Excellent.
Mark Henderson,ODT. June 2025
This spent almost a year in oak, 50% new, and only two barrels were made. For me always a little underrated in the Riverby line-up, this is such a lovely style. Plush, creamy and polished, the black fruit and cocoa of the nose also has a hintnof cedar and pepper. The palate leads on with dark berries and spice, ripe enough although buttressed by a streak of firm tannin and taut acidity. 91/100
Tom Cannavan. Wine-pages.com March 2025
A stylish rendition, the complex bouquet shows dark plum, floral, olive and nutmeg aromas, followed by a succulant palate displaying excellent weight and fine texture. Splendidly structured by grainy tannins, finishing beautifully long and sturdy. At its best: now to 2033. 93/100 *****
Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, July 2024