“Holy s**t!” were the exact words Rod McDonald’s wife Jo, when he rang her to tell her his Quarter Acre Hawke’s Bay Syrah had just been awarded the Trophy for the “Best International Syrah” at the prestigious International Wine Challenge in London. A clutch of the finest wine judges on the planet decided that his syrah is the best in the world.
In. The. World. The wine also scooped Trophies for best New Zealand Syrah, best New Zealand Red and best Hawke’s Bay Syrah. “I’d just parked outside the office of our distributors for a meeting and I had to sit in the car for a good 15mins to let it sink in” he says. “It’s a head-shaker though. I said to my oldest boy Bruno, lotsa(sic) people in the vineyard and winery worked really hard to make it happen. I mean someone has to have the idea, line up all the ducks, keep everything heading in the right direction and ensure we don’t compromise when it counts – but winemaking aint an individual sport. I’m just the glory boy in the front”.
This is a mammoth deal for Rod’s business. It also gives New Zealand syrah producers more confidence to take their wine to international markets and respectfully demand an audience with the big decision makers. “We know we have something to offer that’s more than every day” he adds. “And we’ve only just started to unlock what’s possible with Syrah in Hawke’s Bay. Our newest site is producing flavours and concentration that are the best I’ve seen.
It grows like a bastard though apparenty. “It’s hard to get the balance right between canopy and crop. The grapes often stall at around 20.0 brix, they sit and sulk for a couple of weeks and then suddenly get on with it and start ripening again right around the end of March when the weather gets dodgy”. Syrah is clearly not an easy ride.
“The winemaking we use is more akin to Pinot Noir. Some whole bunch, all whole berry, natural ferments and MLF (malolactic fermentation). We focus on gentle but complete extraction before slow maturation in barrel. Unless you have amazing fruit, it’s high risk. Get it right in the vineyard and it’s less of a white knuckle ride. We’re not going to get carried away with ourselves, but we’ll take our 15 seconds and keep working on wines that while not perfect, are brimming with personality”.
Rod McDonald Quarter Acre Syrah 2015 $35 (5stars)
You know how some people say they can hear voices in their head? Well sipping this wine may suddenly give you voices in your gob. I feel it’s ok to say ‘gob’ because in the official tasting notes, accompanying this wine, Rod says it has ‘violets and cassis on the snoz’. I love the pretty florals and concentrated dark fruit, but I’m infatuated with the silky, cocoa-dusted texture on the finish. Gloriously good.
SOHO Havana Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 $38 (5 stars)
This wine won the trophy for Best New Zealand Pinot Noir at the International Wine Challenge in London last week. How appropriate that a pinot named after one of the sexiest capital cities in the world, also has a distinct lift of tobacco leaf and cigar box on the nose and palate. Combine this wine nuances of baked cherry, black olive powder and the lushness of forest floor leaf litter and you’ve got an extremely complex, spice-driven, earthy pinot that’s the equivalent of an exotic holiday in a bottle.
Prepare a crock pot of Cuban roast pork with black beans. Delish
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We’ve got your week absolutely sorted for sipping with a superlative syrah, a plucky pinot noir and a fizz-tastic local sparkler…
Unison Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2015 $55 (4.5stars)
This wine may be from a ‘monster’ vintage, a vintage you’d expect to produce exclusively big, alcoholic, over-extracted wines. Yet here we have elegance ‘wine-on-ified’. Fresh pepper and vibrant plum and boysenberry backstroke through waves of vanilla and dried herbs. The tannins are solid, yet stretchy and supple and it’s a wine that the team at Unison should be very proud of indeed.
www.unisonvineyard.co.nz
Fairhall Downs Marlborough Pinot Noir 2016 $35 (5 stars)
New favourite alert! This pinot noir is absolutely heaving with ultra-juicy cherry boysenberry, raspberry and masses of spice. It’s generous, plush and silky-smooth to drink. Plus it’s got pluck and personality and that’s exactly why your glass will be almost impossible to put down.
Kumeu River Kumeu Crémant NV $50 (4 star)
For aeons, Michael Brajkovich MW has turned out tasty pinot noir and jawdroppingly good chardonnay at every level. So it was only a matter of time before he opted to marry the two under holy methode traditionelle matrimony. A base of 60% chardonnay and 40% pinot noir were handpicked, whole bunch pressed and fermented with wild yeasts before going through a full malolactic and secondary bottle ferment and then aged for 30 months on its yeast lees. The fizz is finely tuned, the mousse, creamy and persistent, almond biscuit and lemony aromas lead to a crisp, citrus-led palate and a rich, nougat-like finish. Gorgeous stuff.
