Terrace Edge is a small family vineyard and olive grove in the emerging wine region of Waipara, north Canterbury, New Zealand – about an hour’s drive north from Christchurch, on the South Island.

Jill and Bruce Chapman, and their son Pete, were enthusiastic growers, but new to wine, when they bought a sheep paddock in the late 90s, and decided to plant vines and olives.

This wine is an awesome product of their most arresting plot, where Syrah is planted on a steep, 45 degree plus, north facing slope, ensuring unusual maximum sun exposure (in the Southern Hemisphere!).

It is only just warm and dry enough (in a good year) to ripen Syrah in north Canterbury; some years the Chapmans have to pick early to avoid rains, and make a rosé; but on a good year, the fruit gets a long hang time, and slowly comes to ripeness, ensuring full flavour development and good acidity, meaning the wine will age well, and be a good gastronomic partner for all manner of heavier red meats.

At 13%, and co-fermented with a little Viognier, this is a Syrah more reminiscent of the northern Rhône than of Shiraz from ‘across the ditch’. Expect bold flavours of cassis, blackcurrant, black olive and black pepper. The wine develops with aeration, revealing meaty hints (think bacon fat). These will become more pronounced with time in bottle – so buy a few and lay them down.