Crossroads two Syrah vineyards lie in the renowned Gimblett Gravels subregion of Hawkes Bay. The free-draining, gravelly soils this area is known for fill the grapes with a wonderful expression of flavour. To capture this vivid character the harvested grapes were crushed into both closed and small open top fermenters using winemaking techniques traditional to small batches of red wine. The �cold soak� method extracted the grape�s delicate aromas while hand plunging ensured the tannins were supple. To highlight the fruit intensity the wine was aged in French barriques just 15% of which were new.