Aces & Arrows Syrah

The Aces & Arrows Wine Co – made by our own rules. Or so the label says.

Aces & Arrows is a side project created by global booze giants Pernod Ricard. These guys have a massive global network of top vineyards, growers and winemakers and the idea was to allow some of their existing winemakers a bit of creative freedom in crafting small batch wines that were just a little bit left field.

This is the Aces & Arrows Syrah 2021 from Hawke’s Bay. The winemaker’s true identity is kept a bit of a secret but they did tell us his first name’s Craig.

Craig’s a proud Hawke’s Bay local and a passion for brewing beer turned into a passion for wine after something of a dare from his old man some 25 years ago!

2021 was a cracker of a vintage in Hawke’s Bay and Craig used fruit from the Bridge Pa and Gimblett Gravels sub regions. Craig mixed it up a bit by combining a splash of Viognier and Malbec to add floral complexity and add a twist on the classic Hawkes Bay’s style Syrah.

Scoring 4 1/2 Stars with critic Michael Cooper who said “Offering fine value, the generous, youthful 2021 vintage (4.5*) is Syrah-based, with some Malbec and Viognier in the blend. Dark and purple-flushed, it has a highly fragrant, spicy bouquet. Mouthfilling and sweet-fruited, it has rich blackcurrant and black pepper flavours, savoury notes adding complexity, supple tannins and a harmonious, persistent finish. Best drinking mid-2025+.”