Novum Basket Press Syrah 2021

Will Hoare’s family have been growing fruit in Marlborough since 1977. He has been guided and mentored from the very beginning by some of the region’s most influential pioneers. Will started as a cellarhand at Fromm Winery. 19 years later he left his GM position to start his own project.

Novum focuses on extracting only the very best parcels from within vineyards. As soil types and aspects can vary considerably even in a seemingly homogeneous vineyard, they seek those 'sweet spots' that consistently produce superior fruit. The consequence of this approach is, of course, extremely limited production. However, their reward is an ability to produce high quality wines. From the very start, Novum wines have been catching the attention (and high ratings) of Bob Campbell MW and Jancis Robinson MW.

By living amongst the vines, Will and Rachel are personally invested in making sure that their environment is pristine and stays that way for future generations. By working at a micro-level in the vineyard and working so closely with their growers, they record all of the inputs–water, fertilisers, tractor hours, biodiversity and so on. All of the choices they make strive to minimize intervention.

Syrah grown in Marlborough sits on the edge of climatic suitability. However, after years of working with this variety we have learnt that the high number of sunshine hours combined with careful attention in the vineyard can produce wines of the most astonishing concentration and flavour.