Te Rere's Motuhaka Reserve Syrah comes from the estate's own coastal vineyard at Church Bay on Waiheke Island. Expect blackcurrant, boysenberry and dark plum with pepper, clove and a savoury, stony edge, wrapped in fine, silky tannin. It's a serious, structured Syrah for someone who wants real depth and doesn't mind giving it time.
Waiheke Island's reputation rests as much on its reds as anything else, and Syrah is one of the varieties that built it. Te Rere's version is estate-grown on the island's western side, hand-tended across low-yielding vines that concentrate flavour rather than volume.
This is the Estate's flagship red, the wine Te Rere is best known for. Alongside the more polished, structured Waiheke Syrah on the shelf, it sits toward the serious end: built for someone planning a proper dinner or happy to let a bottle sit in the cellar for a few years, rather than something to open on a whim tonight.
What it tastes like
Blackcurrant and boysenberry lead, with dark plum skin and clove running alongside. Underneath sits a savoury, dry-stone character, plus touches of new leather, vanilla and smoke that come from the oak. The palate is dry with real weight, carrying tannin that runs from fine to noticeably firmer, and enough acidity to keep it lively rather than heavy. It drinks young and honestly, with a fair amount of grip still to soften.
This isn't a soft, early-drinking style of Syrah. It's built with structure in mind, and that structure is the point - give it time and the tannin will ease into something more integrated.
Style at a glance
- Body: Full
- Sweetness: Dry
- Acidity: Fresh, with plenty of grip alongside it
- Tannin: Fine through to firmer, still settling
- Oak: French oak, part of Te Rere's standard barrel ageing, adding spice and structure without burying the fruit
- Style: Peppery, dark-fruited, structured Waiheke Syrah built to age
Food
This wants something with real substance: char-grilled lamb backstrap with a pepper crust, a slow-braised beef cheek, venison with juniper, or duck breast with fig. A firm, aged cheddar works well too, and it's worth trying alongside a lamb kofta with cumin if you want the pepper in the wine to do some work.
Who makes it
Te Rere is a small, family-owned vineyard in a sheltered valley at Church Bay on Waiheke Island, farming four coastal sites across 2.4 hectares. Winemaker Michael Wood trained in Blenheim before working at Domaine Courbis in France's Northern Rhône and Weingut Heitlinger in Germany, then spent time at Passage Rock Wines and Obsidian Wines on Waiheke before joining Te Rere. He was named New Zealand Winemaker of the Year at the 2017 NZ Aromatic Wine Show, and Syrah is the variety he's most closely associated with at Te Rere. He describes the estate's sheltered north-west slopes and closeness to the ocean as exemplifying what makes Waiheke viticulture distinctive. Viticulturist Matt Sloan, who holds a postgraduate diploma in viticulture and oenology from Lincoln University, manages the vineyard alongside him, keeping yields deliberately low to concentrate flavour in the fruit.
When to drink it
Cameron Douglas MS, reviewing the 2022 in 2026, put its drinking window at from now through to 2032. It's youthful and structured at the moment, so it will reward a few years in the cellar as much as it will suit drinking now with the right food.
Technical details
| Winery |
Te Rere |
| Wine |
Motuhaka Reserve Syrah |
| Vintage |
2022 |
| Variety |
Syrah |
| Vineyard |
Estate vineyard, Church Bay, Waiheke Island (western-facing coastal sites) |
| Region |
Waiheke Island |
| Country |
New Zealand |
| Oak |
French oak, generally 10 to 12 months |
| Cellaring |
2026 to 2032 |
| Serving temperature |
Best served slightly below room temperature, around 16-18°C |
Where to buy
For international delivery to the USA, Australia, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China and South Korea, the Te Rere Motuhaka Reserve Syrah 2022 is available via our winenz.com website. For delivery in New Zealand you can purchase from thewineryonline.co.nz. If you are visiting New Zealand, you can also buy it at our Queenstown and Arrowtown stores, alongside a large range of New Zealand and international wine.
Questions we are often asked
What does Te Rere Motuhaka Reserve Syrah taste like?
Blackcurrant, boysenberry and dark plum skin, with clove, new leather and a savoury, dry-stone character underneath. It's a full-bodied, dry Waiheke Island Syrah with real structure and firm, fine tannin.
Is Te Rere Motuhaka Reserve Syrah a blend?
No - it's a single-variety Syrah, with no Viognier or other grape co-fermented in.
How long will Te Rere Motuhaka Reserve Syrah 2022 keep?
Cameron Douglas MS put its drinking window at 2026 through to 2032 in his 2026 review. It's youthful now, with real structure still to settle.
What food goes with Te Rere Motuhaka Reserve Syrah?
Something with real substance: char-grilled lamb backstrap, slow-braised beef cheek, venison with juniper, or duck breast with fig. A firm, aged cheddar works well too.
Where is Te Rere Motuhaka Reserve Syrah made?
At Te Rere's own estate in Church Bay on Waiheke Island, from low-yielding vines on the island's western side, and aged in French oak.
Where can I buy Te Rere Motuhaka Reserve Syrah 2022?
The Winery ships Te Rere Motuhaka Reserve Syrah 2022 internationally from winenz.com to the USA, Australia, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China and South Korea, and delivers within New Zealand from thewineryonline.co.nz. It is also available in our Queenstown and Arrowtown stores.
