Church Road TOM Syrah

This luxurious TOM Syrah is an elegant, velvety, plush red wine that will impress. A wine of great depth, the fruit expresses as ripe berry and black plum, with top notes of violet, lavender, liquorice and anise. The vibrant fruit is tempered by darker complexities evoking warm earth, new leather, cedar, cacao and savoury roasted notes, along with an underlying minerality typical of this vineyard. The palate is fine, full and long with a silky tannin structure that gives an overall impression of elegance, completeness and restrained power.

• Winery: Church Road Winery
• Varietal: Syrah
• Region: Hawke's Bay, New Zealand
• Vintage: 2019
• Alcohol: 13.5%
• Volume: 750ml
• Closure: Cork
• Food match: Lamb roast, beef, game meat, pork & pepperoni; tuna & salmon; pizza; BBQ & heavy red sauces; bleu-veined cheeses

Nestled in the heart of the Bridge Pa Triangle Wine Growing District, Redstone Vineyard basks in the golden warmth of Hawke’s Bay, providing the perfect haven for later-ripening grape varieties. This exceptional site yields wines that are rich, supple, and beautifully aromatic, brimming with luscious red and black fruit, interwoven with delicate floral notes.

Tom McDonald was a visionary, a winemaker with an unshakable passion and a pioneering spirit that helped shape the future of New Zealand’s fine wines. Crafted only in the most remarkable vintages, TOM wines embody a legacy of excellence - each bottle a tribute to one of the country’s greatest winemaking legends.

Church Road in Taradale has a rich and storied past, its foundations laid in 1897 by the visionary ex-Marist Brother, Bartholomew Steinmetz. When he returned to his native Luxembourg in the 1920s, he entrusted the fledgling winery to the hands of a young yet ambitious 19-year-old—Tom McDonald. Today, his name is legendary. Initially leasing the winery before securing ownership in 1936, Tom was a pioneer, driven by an unwavering passion for excellence. In 1949, he crafted New Zealand’s very first commercial Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine that became an icon of the 1960s and set an enduring benchmark for premium red wines in the country. A true visionary ahead of his time, Tom’s dedication to winemaking remains deeply woven into the fabric of this historic estate.

Under new stewardship, a major renovation in 1989 was undertaken with a singular mission—to restore Church Road’s place as a producer of boutique-style, quality-driven wines. Today, the winery thrives under the expert guidance of Chris Scott, who has been part of its journey since 1998. The winemaking team, drawing from some of Hawke’s Bay’s finest vineyard sites, continues to create wines of remarkable character, delivering both excellence and value at every level. A tradition of passion and innovation lives on, ensuring that every bottle tells a story of heritage, craftsmanship, and a deep love for the art of winemaking.

• 97/100 Points - Cameron Douglas MS (2019 vintage)
• 97/100 & Top Rank - Bob Campbell MW (2019 vintage)