Who would have known that a touch of scandal was the catalyst for the inception of one of New Zealand’s oldest and best loved brands? According to Church Road’s winemaker Chris Scott, up until the mid 1890’s, company founder, Bartholemew Steinmetz used to be a priest. However a dalliance with a Taradale-based temptress led to his being politely asked to exit the clergy. Hardy disheartened, he decided to have a crack at making wine, planting a vineyard on Church Road in 1897. Fast forward 119 years and the actions of that randy ratbag resulted in a modern day quest to produce New Zealand’s finest Bordeaux-style red wine by legendary wine pioneer Tom McDonald (who began working for Steinmetz at 14 and by 23 had bought the company).
Scott says that Tom’s interest in wine began as a 10yr old, when he was sent down the road to Mission Estate to collect a flagon of sherry for his father. While waiting, a kindly monk gave him a full glass. Tom said, many years later, that while he remembered the taste of the sherry, he couldn’t actually remember getting home. McDonald was a tireless champion of quality wine production in a time when wine was not part of kiwi culture. Long-serving winemaker Dennis Robinson is quoted as saying (of his tenure in the 60’s-70’s) “You never told anyone that you were a winemaker because back then it meant you were basically no better than a drug dealer”. A famous kiwi chef working in London in the 1970’s was once asked during a BBC radio interview what New Zealand wine was like. “It’s ok” he shrugged, “just don’t get it on your skin”.
Of course these stories may be complete codswallop, but let’s not let facts get in the way of a good yarn shall we? What is true however is that to honour Tom’s legacy, Church Road launched the Tom cabernet 1995 in 1999, a rare, limited release, to represent their very best red wine. Some years later a Tom chardonnay was added, and this year, much to my joy and jubilation, a Tom syrah completes the trio. They’re expensive, but exceptional; and hey, you could win lotto this week…
Church Road TOM Syrah 2013 $200 ★★★★★
For this, the first ever release of a TOM syrah, 100% of the fruit was sourced from the Redstone vineyard inside the Bridge Pa Triangle Wine District, New Zealand’s newest ‘official’ wine region. A couple of swirls in the glass reveals elegant white pepper, fresh blackberry, violet and vanilla alongside exceptionally buoyant layers of concentrated plum, finely-tuned, cocoa and charred, smoky characters. Reduced to just one bunch per shoot (when the norm for syrah is 2-3 bunches per shoot), every bunch has the ‘shoulders’ chopped off to leave every bunch untangled and free from disease pressure. This also means 60-70% of the crop actually ends up on the ground. It’s crazy, gorgeous stuff that’ll grow more graceful over the coming decade. www.firstglass.co.nz
Church Road TOM Chardonnay 2013 $150 ★★★★★
100% grown in their Tuki Tuki vineyard which “used to be a complete fruit salad” according to winemaker Chris Scott. “But we’ve ripped out everything that’s not a top chardonnay clone and every single barrel selected for this wine is a separate hand pick and press”. Bursting with citrus complexity, seductive, smoky oak, juicy, elegantly ripe stonefruit, it has a finely grained mid-palate texture and pungent, concentrated intensity on the finish. It’ll reward 8-10 years cellaring because it’s a thoroughbred amongst chardonnay and worth every cent. www.caros.co.nz
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Here are three outstanding wines that’ll clear the nose and soothe the throat this week…
Bald Hills Central Otago Riesling 2015 $28 ★★★★
Pete Bartle is the winemaker responsible for this bottle of tangy apple, lime and lemon verbena-laden lusciousness. There’s also a layer of crushed herbs and punchy tropical character which makes this a darn delicious wine to enjoy over a selection of spicy tapas or a feed of good, old-fashioned, lemony, salty fish and chips. Crisp, crunchy and lipsmackingly good.
Bret Brothers Mâcon Uchizy Grand Vin de Bourgogne 2014 $43 ★★★★★
Some chardonnays erupt with x-factor for me and this is definitely one of them. I love the aromas of buttery, toasted crumpets, grilled grapefruit and spiced stonefruit alongside citrus concentration at its core which balances beautifully with subtle oak and luscious acidity. Crafted by the supremely talented Jean-Guillaume and Jean-Phillippe Bret from a tiny plot of vines in southern Burgundy , it’s an utterly stylish, elegant wine with precision, structure and personality in spades. Savour with sautéed garlic chicken livers.
www.mvauron.co.nz
Hopes Grove Hawke’s Bay Silver Lining Syrah 2010 ★★★★
Deeply saturated, glossy and dark, here’s an intensely spicy syrah showing hints of smoke and leather. Six years in the bottle has borne violets, fresh pepper and gamey characters on the palate and a finish loaded with bay leaf, black tea and earthy cocoa characters. Grown in the limestone loveliness of Hawke’s Bay’s lesser-known sub-region of Paki Paki, I love the elegance and poise of this wine, particularly when I’m eating sticky beef kebabs with my hands…
