Paint the town red: db Asia Pinot Noir and Syrah Masters 2023

Cecilia Wong tackles two of the world’s big hitters when it comes to red grape varieties at this year’s Asia Syrah Masters and Asia Pinot Noir Masters, discovering impressive expressions at various price points.

Pinot Noir and Syrah are very different grape varieties, but they have one thing in common: they are popular Old and New World wines.

Bourgogne comes to mind when we think about Pinot Noir, offering some of the most premium examples of wines made with this grape. However, many New World wineries also produce great Pinot Noir with an elegant and complex style.

When it comes to the debate about calling the expressions Syrah or Shiraz, climate plays a big part in determining style, with cooler-climate wines often referred to as Syrah, while those from warmer regions often sporting Shiraz on their labels.

Eleven wines from Australia and New Zealand were blind tasted by a panel of expert judges as part of the drinks business Asia’s Pinot Noir Masters 2023, yielding three Master awards, one Gold, four Silver medals and one Bronze award.

As for the drinks business Asia’s Syrah Masters 2023, our expert judges blind tasted 18 expressions from countries around the world, including Italy, Australia, and South Africa, awarding five Master medals, eight Gold awards, three Silvers and two Bronze.

This year’s Asia Pinot Noir and Syrah Masters 2023 panel include Cecilia Wong, co-chair of the drinks business Asia Masters; Betsy Haynes, managing director, Northeast Wines & Spirits; Charles Lim, restaurant manager, ThinkWine Hong Kong; and Ross Chan, independent wine consultant.

All 11 entries to the Pinot Noir competition were oaked red wines categorised by price range.

One Master medal went to De Bortoli La Bohème Interlude Pinot Noir 2022, from Australia’s Yarra Valley (price range HK$151-HK$200). All four judges found it very expressive, and good value for money, with its pale ruby red colour, rose and red fruit aromas, and strawberry, cherry, raspberry and spice notes. De Bortoli’s PHI Pinot Noir 2022, also from Yarra Valley (price range HK$350-HK$400), won the producer a second Master medal, with all of the judges finding the wine well balanced, fruit-forward, and with good structure. It is pale ruby in colour, with aromatic red cherries, cinnamon, toast, raspberry, and spice flavours.

Ross Chan called the wine “elegant, balanced and gorgeous”, with an expressive nose. “It has cherry pie, cherry Coke, and juicy flavours,” he said, “that’s why I like it.”

Last but not least, the third Master medal in the competition went to Gladstone Vineyard Blairpatrick Pinot Noir 2019, from Wairarapa, New Zealand (price range HK$450–HK$500). The judges found this wine complex and well structured, with a pale ruby colour and concentrated nose of dark berries, toast, a hint of tea leaves and some spice notes. “It’s elegant, complex, and aromatic with dark cherries, violet, cloves, cranberries, toasty and mineral notes and a long finish. It’s well integrated, and very enjoyable,” said Cecilia Wong.

The single gold medal was awarded to De Bortoli Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021, from Yarra Valley (price range HK$201–HK$250). This pale ruby red wine with good acidity was well structured and well-integrated with floral and berry notes.

Among the 18 Syrah entries, expressions from different price ranges were split between oaked 100% Syrah wines and oaked Syrah Blends. One Master award was given to Wakefield Taylors Family Wines’ Jaraman Shiraz 2021, from Clare Valley and McLaren Vale, Australia (price range HK$151–HK$200). “It’s one of my favourites of today’s tasting,” said Chan. “It’s outstanding, with refined tannins, elegant, new French oak, dark berries, plums, and spice notes. It has a firm structure, and it’s definitely a great wine to pair with steak.”

Another Master award went to Saronsberg Shiraz 2021, from South Africa’s Western Cape (price range HK$151–HK$200), offering a long finish with elegant and complex blackcurrant, blackberry jam, peppercorn and spice notes. Wakefield Taylors Family Wines’ St. Andrews Shiraz 2020, from Clare Valley, Australia (price range HK$350–HK$400) was also a Master medal winner. “It’s elegant, aromatic, good structure, and with fine tannins. “It has high acidity, concentrated fruity notes like blackberries, black plum jam and blueberries, as well as oak, pepper and eucalyptus notes. It’s well integrated, with a very long finish,” said Wong.

With elegant and complex flavours of blackberry, black plum, dark chocolate and herbaceous and oaky notes, Wakefield Taylors Family Wines’ The Pioneer Shiraz 2019, from Clare Valley, Australia (price range HK$1,000– HK$1,100) also won a Master medal, and was one of judge Betsy Haynes’ highest marks of the day.

The final Master award went to Hoosegg Magic Monkey 2017, from Orange, Australia (price range HK$850–HK$900). This wine was the only Shiraz blend to win a Master medal – it was made from 95% Shiraz and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Judge Charles Lim praised the wine’s “amazing nose and elegant, minty, oak, black fruit, black pepper and asian spice notes”.

Among the eight Gold medallists in the Asian Syrah Masters 2023, one wine priced under HK$100 was given an award – Wakefield Taylors Family Wines’ Hotelier Shiraz 2021, from Padthaway, Australia.

Another two wines, Wakefield Taylors Family Wines’ Estate Shiraz 2021, from Limestone Coast and Clare Valley, Australia and Wakefield Taylors Family Wines’ Taylor Made Shiraz 2021, from Clare Valley, Australia won Gold in the HK$100–HK$150 price category.

In the price range of HK$151–HK$200, one Gold medal went to Golden Amrita Sunshine Hill Shiraz 2021, from Barossa Valley, Australia; a wine with “vanilla, toasty, black plum, blackberry jam, and dark chocolate notes”.

Golden Amrita won two Gold medals in the HK$251–HK$300 category for its Golden Amrita Lumenval Shiraz 2020 and Golden Amrita Lumenval Shiraz 2021.

The final pair of Golds (in the price range HK$350–HK$400) also went to Golden Amrita winery, for its South Australia Single Estate Shiraz 2020, with “toasty, floral, cassis, black plums, blackberry jam, milk chocolate and spice notes”, and its Barossa Valley Single Estate Shiraz 2021, which was praised by the judges for its high tannins and long finish, matched with notes of toast, pepper, milk chocolate, black plums, herbaceousness, and coffee.

Pinot Noir Masters Asia 2023

Syrah Masters Asia 2023