Man O' War Kulta Series 'Totto' Waiheke Island Syrah 2018

Man O' War Kulta Series 'Totto' Waiheke Island Syrah 2018French oak Black fruit Violets Chiselled tannins "Dense, ripe, richly scented bouquet and plenty of varietal impact. Quite Rhone like as well with aromas of dark berries and oak, dark berries, bracken and clove and smoked meats. With a core of dark raspberry, plum alongside firm tannins and plenty of acidity the wine presents youthful, firm, young and complex. It definitely needs cellar time. Additionally there is a core mineral seam that tastes iron

• French oak
• Black fruit
• Violets
• Chiselled tannins

"Dense, ripe, richly scented bouquet and plenty of varietal impact. Quite Rhone like as well with aromas of dark berries and oak, dark berries, bracken and clove and smoked meats. With a core of dark raspberry, plum alongside firm tannins and plenty of acidity the wine presents youthful, firm, young and complex. It definitely needs cellar time. Additionally there is a core mineral seam that tastes iron rich and quite salty. Delicious!" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Jan 2021

The 2018 Totto Syrah has an incredible lifted fragrance driven by the high percentage of whole bunch in the fermentation. A perfume of subtle herbal notes with violets and black fruit and an earthy peaty smoke lift the aromas. The palate is generous yet carries a fresh touch and is loaded with an earthy savoury complexity with grilled peppered meats and dark berry fruit. Totto 2018 is rich and vibrant with chiselled tannins and a long lived structure - a vintage to observe and enjoy for years to come.

The fruit for the 2018 Totto Syrah comes from our most breathtakingly beautiful yet most steep and fearsome vineyards; Asylum, Madman’s and Niko Face. These vineyards are close planted, dry farmed, often 40o or more in slope and produce extremely low yields of stunning fruit quality. Hand harvested and careful graded in the winery the fruit from both Madmans and Niko Face are destemmed to vat with 15% whole bunch retained whereas Asylum is 100% whole bunch with a small amount of gentle foot stomping to release some juice for the onset of fermentation. Gently handled with plunging or pump overs twice a day, the wild fermented parcels are pressed off after 30 days before settling in tank and then being racked to barrel and left to mature for 20 months before their first racking to blend.