TRY NOVUM’S NOVEL SYRAH

For those who believe, as I do, that parts of Marlborough are perfectly suited to growing syrah, an exciting new player has hit town. Novum is a boutique label created by experienced Marlborough wine couple Will and Rachel Hoare (formerly of the Fromm Winery). They’ve just released their first wines, the Novum Pinot Noir 2016 and the Novum Syrah 2016 (both $25 per bottle from the website). The syrah is a cracker – dark, ripe, lively, lithe fruit with great structural backbone. Those with long palate memories may recall the impressive William Thomas Syrah, which Will Hoare also made way back in the mid noughties. The fruit he uses for the Novum syrah comes from the same vineyard, only now the vines are 21 years old. Because there are only four rows of them, only 580 bottles of the Novum Syrah 2016 have been produced.