Surprises at Hawke's Bay Wine Show
The Hawke’s Bay Wine Show threw up a few surprises this week, not the least of them the awarding of trophies to wineries from the southern end of the sprawling wine-growing region – in Central Hawke’s Bay.
Junction, owned by former All Black John Ashworth and his family won the commercial white wine trophy with its Pastime Pinot Gris and Lime Rock, near Waipawa, won the gruner veltliner trophy for its 2016 release.
Trophy results:
Champion wine of show, Boundary Vineyards 2015 Farm Lane Hawke's Bay Syrah; reserve champion, Church Road 2006 Blanc de Noirs; champion commercial red wine, Boundary Vineyards 2015 Farm Lane Hawke's Bay Syrah; champion commercial white wine, Junction Pastime Pinot Gris; champion export wine, Villa Maria 2016 Private Bin Hawkes Bay Rose; merlot, Church Road 2013 McDonald Series; cabernet sauvignon dominant red blends, Beach House 2014 Cabernet Malbec; merlot dominant red blends, CJ Pask 2014 Small Batch Trilliant; syrah, Boundary Vineyards 2015 Farm Lane Hawke's Bay Syrah; pinot noir, Sileni 2015 Cellar Selection Plateau Pinot Noir; other premium red varietals and blends, Beach House 2014 Cabernet Franc; chardonnay, Clearview Estate 2015 Reserve Chardonnay; sauvignon blanc and/or semillon, Sileni 2015 Cellar Selection Cape Sauvignon Blanc; pinot gris, Petane Station 2015 Pinot Gris; viognier, Saint Clair 2015 Hawke's Bay Premium Viognier; premium white varietals, Lime Rock 2016 Grüner Veltliner; sweet wine, Alpha Domus 2015 AD Noble Selection; rose, Villa Maria 2016 Private Bin Hawkes Bay Rosé; outstanding wines of provenance: Newton Forrest Cornerstone; sparkling, Church Road 2006 Blanc de Noirs; merlot, Church Road 2013 McDonald Series Merlot.
Junction, owned by former All Black John Ashworth and his family won the commercial white wine trophy with its Pastime Pinot Gris and Lime Rock, near Waipawa, won the gruner veltliner trophy for its 2016 release.
Trophy results:
Champion wine of show, Boundary Vineyards 2015 Farm Lane Hawke's Bay Syrah; reserve champion, Church Road 2006 Blanc de Noirs; champion commercial red wine, Boundary Vineyards 2015 Farm Lane Hawke's Bay Syrah; champion commercial white wine, Junction Pastime Pinot Gris; champion export wine, Villa Maria 2016 Private Bin Hawkes Bay Rose; merlot, Church Road 2013 McDonald Series; cabernet sauvignon dominant red blends, Beach House 2014 Cabernet Malbec; merlot dominant red blends, CJ Pask 2014 Small Batch Trilliant; syrah, Boundary Vineyards 2015 Farm Lane Hawke's Bay Syrah; pinot noir, Sileni 2015 Cellar Selection Plateau Pinot Noir; other premium red varietals and blends, Beach House 2014 Cabernet Franc; chardonnay, Clearview Estate 2015 Reserve Chardonnay; sauvignon blanc and/or semillon, Sileni 2015 Cellar Selection Cape Sauvignon Blanc; pinot gris, Petane Station 2015 Pinot Gris; viognier, Saint Clair 2015 Hawke's Bay Premium Viognier; premium white varietals, Lime Rock 2016 Grüner Veltliner; sweet wine, Alpha Domus 2015 AD Noble Selection; rose, Villa Maria 2016 Private Bin Hawkes Bay Rosé; outstanding wines of provenance: Newton Forrest Cornerstone; sparkling, Church Road 2006 Blanc de Noirs; merlot, Church Road 2013 McDonald Series Merlot.
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Another HB chardonnay hits the jackpotOnly eight per cent of the 16,000 wines entered in the recent Decanter World Wine Awards earned platinum (super-gold I presume) and one of them was a Hawke's Bay chardonnay from Crossroads' 2014 Winemakers' Collection range.
It was selected as the best New Zealand chardonnay over 15 sterling (about $27) one of the bewildering number of different classes in a competition that this year required the services of more than 220 judges. In this case none would have had any difficulty making a similar decision after tasting this drop of sunny Hawke's Bay in a bottle -- sweet stonefruit and citrus massaged by toasty oak and seasoned with biscuit. It sells at about $39 a bottle and was made in only limited quantities. |
Rosy future for roseWhile sales of rose in New Zealand are never likely to outstrip those of white wine, as they do in France, the demand is growing year on year as Kiwis realise these pretty pinks are not just summer wines.
Such is the demand, in fact, that Cleaview Estate, in Hawke's Bay, has just rushed to market with the latest (2016) edition of its unusual and very palateable Black Reef Blush. "The 2015 sold out months ago," says co-owner Tim Turvey, partly as a result of restaurants and cafes recognising pink wines versatility, responding to changing tastes and listing Black Reef and other roses all-year round. And partly, I'd suggest, because this particular wine is different to many other roses in both composition and description. The Cleaview classic is made essentially from Chambourcin, a French-American hybrid grape which was already growing in the vineyard when Turvey and his partner bought their property beside the beach at Te Awanga in 1983. Instead of pulling the vines, as many purists might have done, Turvey decided instead to make a rose from the unusual red grapes that they produced -- unusual because the juice is red, or pink, not clear as it is in other red grapes. The result was a deeper-coloured, vibrant wine called Dave's Blush, which has since been refined and re-labelled as Black Reef Blush. Right: Clearview Estate winemakers Tim Turvey (rear) and Matt Kirby, with Black Reef Blush 2016. |
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Roses by any other name |
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Clearview 2016 Black Reef Blush,$20-$23:
The latest in a long line of succulent, scented, ballsy roses from this Hawke's Bay winery with a reputation for delivering on flavour, feel and style..As vibrant as it looks in the bottle with the chambourcin that drives it providing the red fruit flavours and a hint of spice. Best drunk young, with whatever. whenever. |
Clearview 2015 Karaka $21-$23:
Essentially a white rose, if there is such a beast. But this is how it is described by Clearview. Best known as an orange wine, in this case a sauvignon gris, which is left on the skins till the juice is orange -- the opposite to rose. The result is a smooth but crisp mouthful of the fruits for which Hawke's Bay is famous. |
Gimblett Gravels syrah an emerging classic style
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Syrah has emerged as the top performer in this year’s (the seventh) selection of 12 outstanding wines from the 2014 vintage on Hawke’s Bay’s Gimblett Gravels.
The vintage selection is made each year by Australian Master of Wine Andrew Caillard (pictured left), who said after tasting a record 51 entries, that Gimblett Gravels syrah is clearly an emerging classic style. He describes it as having “a lovely peppery fragrance or pure fruit aromatics, attractive density, impact and structural backbone.” And of the vintage across all Gimblett Gravels reds he says: “Outstanding”. The 2014 selection: Blended reds (merlot or cabernet dominant): Craggy Range Sophia, Mission Estate Jewelstone Antoine, Squawking Magpie SQM Cabernets Merlot, Trinity Hill The Gimblett, Villa Maria Reserve Merlot. Syrah: Craggy Range Le Sol Syrah, Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Gimblett Gravels Syrah, Sacred Hill Deerstalkers Syrah, Squawking Magpie Stoned Crow Syrah, Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Syrah, Vidal Reserve Syrah, William Murdoch Syrah. |
Chardonnay does it again at regional wine awards
Syrah might well be everybody's darling but it was chardonnay which for the third time in a row won the supreme award at this year's Hawke's Bay Wine Show.
The winning wine was a 2014 reserve from Esk Valley, part of the Villa Maria stable of wineries which almost completely dominated the results, winning 13 of the 20 trophies awarded tonight..
It was also a triumph for master winemaker Gordon Russell and his team at Esk, who also won a trophy for their 2015 pinot gris..
While Russell's popular image is as a red wine maker his understanding of, and respect for other varieties is reflected in the whites and other wines that he produces, or for which he has responsibilty. When he says that he allows the wines to make themselves he is good to his word so far as this is possible. It is about allowing the grapes to express themselves with as little intervention as possible.
It is no coincidence then that the 2013 version of the same powerful, complex Hawke's Bay chardonnay won the Spiegelau International Wine Competition just a few weeks ago.
No coincidence either that chardonnay dominated the gold medals table at this year's Hawke's Bay show, winning seven to syrah's five.
Runner up in the awards, however, was a syrah -- Villa Maria's 2013 Cellar Selection .
Other results:
Champion commercial red: Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke's Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2013
Champion commercial white: Esk Valley Hawke's Bay Pinot Gris 2015
Champion export white: Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawke's Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Merlot: Villa Maria Single Vineyard Braided Gravels Organic Merlot 2013
Cabernet sauvignon- blends: Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke's Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2013
Syrah: Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawke's Bay Syrah 2013
Other premium red varietals and blends: Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke's Bay Malbec 2013
Chardonnay: Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2014
Sauvignon blanc and or semillon: Matua Hawke's Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2014
Pinot Gris: Esk Valley Hawke's Bay Pinot Gris 2015
Viognier: Saint Clair Hawke's Bay Premium Viognier 2014
Premium white varietals: Farmgate Chenin Blanc 2009 (Best in class)
Sweet wine: Ngatarawa Proprietors Reserve Noble Riesling 2014
Rose: Left Field Hawke's Bay Rosé 2015
Museum wine: Sacred Hill Riflemans Chardonnay 2010
Sparkling: Black Barn Vineyards Blanc de Blanc's 2010 (Best in Class)
Gold medals:
Merlot: Villa Maria Single Vineyard Braided Gravels Organic Merlot 2013
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawke's Bay Organic Merlot 2013
Cabernet-dominant reds: Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke's Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2013
Saint Clair Pioneer Block 17 Plateau Cabernet Merlot 2014
Merlot dominant reds: Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawke's Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Elephant Hill Merlot Malbec Cabernet Franc 2013
Syrah : Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawke's Bay Syrah 2013
Matua Hawke's Bay Syrah 2014
Te Awa Single Estate Gimblett Gravels Hawke's Bay Syrah 2013
Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke's Bay Syrah 2013
Crossroads Talisman Syrah 2013
Other premium varietals and reds: Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke's Bay Malbec 2013
Chardonnay: Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2014
Beach House Levels Chardonnay 2014
Church Road Grand Reserve Chardonnay 2013
Clearview Estate Beachead Chardonnay 2014
Mills Reef Elspeth Chardonnay 2014
Vidal Legacy Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2014
Villa Maria Library Release Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2010
Sauvignon Blanc and or semillon: Matua Hawke's Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2014
Pinot Gris: Esk Valley Hawke's Bay Pinot Gris 2015
Selaks Reserve Pinot Gris 2015
Sweet wine: Ngatarawa Proprietors Reserve Noble Riesling 2014
Rose: Left Field Hawke's Bay Rosé 2015
Museum Wines: Sacred Hill Riflemans Chardonnay 2010
Newton Forrest Estate Cornerstone 2005
The winning wine was a 2014 reserve from Esk Valley, part of the Villa Maria stable of wineries which almost completely dominated the results, winning 13 of the 20 trophies awarded tonight..
It was also a triumph for master winemaker Gordon Russell and his team at Esk, who also won a trophy for their 2015 pinot gris..
While Russell's popular image is as a red wine maker his understanding of, and respect for other varieties is reflected in the whites and other wines that he produces, or for which he has responsibilty. When he says that he allows the wines to make themselves he is good to his word so far as this is possible. It is about allowing the grapes to express themselves with as little intervention as possible.
It is no coincidence then that the 2013 version of the same powerful, complex Hawke's Bay chardonnay won the Spiegelau International Wine Competition just a few weeks ago.
No coincidence either that chardonnay dominated the gold medals table at this year's Hawke's Bay show, winning seven to syrah's five.
Runner up in the awards, however, was a syrah -- Villa Maria's 2013 Cellar Selection .
Other results:
Champion commercial red: Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke's Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2013
Champion commercial white: Esk Valley Hawke's Bay Pinot Gris 2015
Champion export white: Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawke's Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Merlot: Villa Maria Single Vineyard Braided Gravels Organic Merlot 2013
Cabernet sauvignon- blends: Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke's Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2013
Syrah: Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawke's Bay Syrah 2013
Other premium red varietals and blends: Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke's Bay Malbec 2013
Chardonnay: Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2014
Sauvignon blanc and or semillon: Matua Hawke's Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2014
Pinot Gris: Esk Valley Hawke's Bay Pinot Gris 2015
Viognier: Saint Clair Hawke's Bay Premium Viognier 2014
Premium white varietals: Farmgate Chenin Blanc 2009 (Best in class)
Sweet wine: Ngatarawa Proprietors Reserve Noble Riesling 2014
Rose: Left Field Hawke's Bay Rosé 2015
Museum wine: Sacred Hill Riflemans Chardonnay 2010
Sparkling: Black Barn Vineyards Blanc de Blanc's 2010 (Best in Class)
Gold medals:
Merlot: Villa Maria Single Vineyard Braided Gravels Organic Merlot 2013
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawke's Bay Organic Merlot 2013
Cabernet-dominant reds: Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke's Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2013
Saint Clair Pioneer Block 17 Plateau Cabernet Merlot 2014
Merlot dominant reds: Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawke's Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Elephant Hill Merlot Malbec Cabernet Franc 2013
Syrah : Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawke's Bay Syrah 2013
Matua Hawke's Bay Syrah 2014
Te Awa Single Estate Gimblett Gravels Hawke's Bay Syrah 2013
Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke's Bay Syrah 2013
Crossroads Talisman Syrah 2013
Other premium varietals and reds: Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke's Bay Malbec 2013
Chardonnay: Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2014
Beach House Levels Chardonnay 2014
Church Road Grand Reserve Chardonnay 2013
Clearview Estate Beachead Chardonnay 2014
Mills Reef Elspeth Chardonnay 2014
Vidal Legacy Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2014
Villa Maria Library Release Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2010
Sauvignon Blanc and or semillon: Matua Hawke's Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2014
Pinot Gris: Esk Valley Hawke's Bay Pinot Gris 2015
Selaks Reserve Pinot Gris 2015
Sweet wine: Ngatarawa Proprietors Reserve Noble Riesling 2014
Rose: Left Field Hawke's Bay Rosé 2015
Museum Wines: Sacred Hill Riflemans Chardonnay 2010
Newton Forrest Estate Cornerstone 2005
Super chardonnays from the ' Bay
Let's forget for the moment all the huffing and puffing and that goes on about the the quality of the red wines produced in Hawke's Bay and turn our attention instead to the white that in the wider world of wine attracts the same sort of attention. And praise. Particuarly those examples of Hawke's Bay chardonnay from the more recent vintages which are now appearing on the market.
These from a winery that screams every time I visit ""This is Hawke's Bay". So do these chardonnays made by Dave McKee at Black Barn:
These from a winery that screams every time I visit ""This is Hawke's Bay". So do these chardonnays made by Dave McKee at Black Barn:
Black Barn 2014 Unoaked Hawke's Bay chardonnay, $22.90: A lovely example of a juicy, fruity chardonnay for those for who prefer this style. Just a hint of of butter and cream to flesh it out. Good buying. Great with fish.
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Black Barn 2014 Reserve Hawke's Bay Chardonnay, $50: This is a stunner -- the star of the lineup. A beautifully soft and rich mouthful of stonefruit and citrus massaged to perfection with oak. |
Black Barn 2014 Barrel-Fermented Hawke's Bay Chardonnay, $34.95: This has had the full treatment and will appeal to those who enjoy the mealy, nutty, toasty-oak nuances that are part of the deal. Classy.
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Some years ago Sacred Hill's senior winemaker, Tony Bish, underlined his affinity for chardonnay, and his skill at making the princely white, by earning. gold medals for wines from three different tiers of the company's range at the same show. Today Sacred Hill produces some of Hawke's Bay and New Zealand's best, particularly chardonnays from the hand-crafted Special Selection range.
Here are the latest from another stunning vintage:: |
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Sacred Hill 2014 Virgin Chardonnay, $29.99: Clean, pure first-pick fruit from Rifleman's vineyard. Uncluttered by oak but tempered by yeast. Vibrant citrus flavours with a hint of blossom wafting from the glass..
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Sacred Hill 2014 Wine Thief Chardonnay. $34.99: Named for tool used to taste wine from the barrels which imparted the toast, the roast and nuttiness to this lovely rich and layered wine.
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Sacred Hill 2014 Rifleman's Chardonnay,$69.99: Epitomises Hawke's Bay chardonnay at its best.A citrus-driven beauty with great presence, intensity and the promise of a long and happy life.
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For too long Paul Mooney, the winemaker at Mission Estate, hid his light under a bushel, a barrel, whatever. Thanks to the rebirth of what is New Zealand's oldest winery it now shines brightly -- as it should for the man who in 1983 fermented a couple of barrels of bunch pressed chardonnay in oak, a full 12 months before John Hancock (then at Delegat's) got the credit for being the first winemaker in New Zealand to do so. To celebrate the occasion, 30 years later, in 2013, he produced a super-premium barrel-fermented chardonnay and named it for Brother Huchet, the Mission's first winemaker. It is now the flagship of a very smart chardonnay fleet.
The best of the five now produced
The best of the five now produced
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Mission 2014 Reserve Chardonnay, $24.99: A luscious, lively stonefruit and citrus chardonnay sparingly massaged with toasty oak and the remains of the yeast that got it cracking. Good value for money.
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Mission 2014 Jewelstone Chardonnay, $49.99: A wine that lives up to the reputation already established by this range
from Mission..An elegant, seamless, stonefruit-driven model with nuts and meal on the side. |
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Mission 2013 Huchet
Chardonnay, $89: This is about as good as it gets in the "Bay. A generously- fruited, creamy wine layered with hints of nuts, toast and butterscotch. A beauty. |
Vidals winemaker Hugh Crichton and chardonnay seem to have been made for each other if you read and believe the accolades that have been heaped upon him since he took over at the historic Hastings winery now owned by Villa Maria.
