Vineyard partners Michael Morris and Peter Cowley named Bullnose after an early Morris Cowley car, nicknamed Bullnose due to its distinctive radiator. The bull emblem that appears on the label is drawn from the car’s radiator crest.

First planted in 1990, the Bullnose Vineyard’s old red iron soils produce Te Mata Estate’s finest Syrah. Separate parcels of fully ripened Syrah grapes were hand-harvested from Te Mata Estate’s Bullnose, Hotspur and Isosceles Vineyards between March 29 – April 17, 2018.

The individual lots were each destemmed and given a traditional warm-plunged fermentation. The resulting wines underwent extended maceration on skins before pressing and then a secondary malolactic fermentation. The separate wines were then run to a mixture of new and seasoned French oak barriques for 15 months’ maturation. During this time, they were regularly topped and racked, before blending and bottling in September 2019.

Deep magenta with an onyx-dark core, Bullnose 2018 has an immediate rich aroma of cinnamon, lavender, ultra-ripe raspberry and black cherry. Lush with plum and boysenberry, the palate has immense depth and is interwoven with black licorice, spice and velvety chocolate tannins.

A deep delight, replete in detail, the 2018 has a classically beautiful Bullnose purity with power, a sumptuous dark heart, and a long, structured, elegant finish.