View from the hilltop

A classy Hawke's Bay syrah hits all the right notes to command a high price.

- BY MICHAEL COOPER

The most memorable wine I’ve tasted was grown in the Rhône Valley and made from the syrah (shiraz) variety – Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle 1986, opened in 2001. At 5 years old, it was impressive; at 10 years old, it was delicious; at 15 years old, it was astoundingly perfumed, rich and multifaceted. I was alone that night and listening to music, so abandoned restraint and drained the bottle. Don’t tell anyone.