Judging Panel International Wine Challenge 2009, U.K
95/100 "Ripe perfumed nose with rich, savoury fruit reminiscent of Hermitage. Complex, restrained fruit with perfect balance, great purity and ripeness. Very long and lingering."

F&B Magazine Best of the Best Wine Guide 2007 - A Peter Saunders preferred 2007 release selected from wines feaured in Peters Pick's in Food & Beverage magazine, NZ

Rosemary George MW - Decanter Oct 06
“Lovely ripe fruit, fragrant oak, spice. Elegant palate, beautiful restrained fruit, balanced with silky raspberry, cherry tones. Fine tannin.”

Bob Campbell MW - Gourmet Traveller Wine Feb 2007
94/100 "Made by Bruce Helliwell from hand harvested grapes in an area of Hawke's Bay known as the Bridge Pa Triangle. Although close to the Gimblett Gravels district, the soils are different comprising deep pumice sands and gravels overlaid by a light sandy loam. This big and powerful wine has a mix of plum, berry, black cracked pepper and more savoury flavours like earth and brambles. The oak is evident, though fruit flavours dominate. A solidly structured wine with firm, ripe tannins."

Cameron Douglas - Hospitality August 2006
“Dark ruby, concentrated, dark rose edge. Black pepper, spices, raspberry, bitter chocolate and broody, earthy undertone matched on the palate. Firm, ripe tannins and delicious mid-palate concentration lead into a long finish. An outstanding example. Decant for service, no less than 17ºC. Will cellar for five+ years"

Karl Du Fresne - Sunday Star Times Magazine 24 September 2006
"This Hawke’s Bay wine was attracting attention even before it won the trophy for best Syrah at the Bragato awards. Sourced from the Daysh Family vineyard on Ngatarawa Road in the Bridge Pa (aka Ngatarawa) Triangle and made by Bruce Helliwell, it’s dark, powerful and very refined Rhone-style syrah that comes alive in the mouth. Excellent with food and should last well. "

Sue Courtenay - Wine of the Week website 28 May 2006
"Bridge Pa Louis Syrah 2004 was a big wine with an aromatic spice box nose and sweet fruit underpinned by firm acidity that carries the finish."

Jane Skilton M.W
"Textbook Syrah characters overlaid of blueberry and damson overlaid with strong cracked pepper. Masses of fruit on the palate with a background of dry tannin and oak."

Peter Saunders - F&B Magazine May 2007
"Young, dark and intense; a wine in no hurry, bountiful in its spicy fruit and offering well-spined yet generous characters to suit red meats, game and cheese. This is not a little wine from a fledgling region but a bold statement still opening up its strengths. More time will help but very accessible now with the right food."

Warren Barton - The Dominion, Sat 12 August 2006
"Violets and black peppercorns combine with blackcurrants and plums to make this an attractive and well priced expression of the variety."

Capital Times - Wine Press 23 August 2006
"It just pips Louis in aroma, with a tobacco note adding weight to the violet and black plum. But Louis has the better in the mouth, where it is somehow light and full at the same time. With a hard act to follow, the HB remains super smooth, with black pepper coming through the black fruit on the palate."