Te Mata Estate's Bullnose Syrah is drawn from warm, free-draining red-metal gravels in Hawke's Bay, principally around the Bridge Pa Triangle, a site the Buck family has championed for syrah since taking over New Zealand's oldest winery in 1974. The variety thrives on these stony, low-vigour soils under Hawke's Bay's sunny, semi-maritime skies. The 2023 vintage was a challenging, low-yielding year for the region, and Te Mata reports this as the smallest Bullnose it has made, released exclusively to New Zealand customers. The reduced crop concentrated the fruit, giving a wine of impressive purity and depth despite the difficult growing conditions.

Handpicked syrah was fermented on skins to build fruit weight, savoury complexity and the wine's fine, grainy tannins, then matured in French oak to add texture and integrate structure. As with the estate's other Bullnose releases, oak is used to support rather than dominate, preserving the variety's peppery, floral character and a silky, plush mouthfeel. The small 2023 crop lent extra concentration, and the winemaking emphasises refinement: excellent weight, a seductive, alluring texture and a smooth, velvety flow through a long finish.