The 2020 Syrah is sourced from Ash Ridge in the Bridge Pa triangle, Hawkes Bay. Organic certified/in conversion, selection Massale and Chave clones. Both spontaneous ferments, one at 30% whole bunch and the other at 60%. Around 5 weeks on skins with very gentle pigeage prior to pressing. The raw wine was shipped to the Vanguardist winery in Seppeltsfield mid-winter 2020 and spent a further 12 months of elevage in a 22HL Slavonian oak foudre.
Why Hawkes Bay Syrah? Michael grew up here and completed no less than 10 New Zealand vintages. He also obtained a BWSc at the local Eastern Institute of Technology. He has friends and family based here and it felt like a great opportunity to reconnect with where it all started.
‘Hawkes Bay is winemaker Michael Corbett’s home turf, and this Shiraz is sourced from Ash Ridge in the Bridge Pa Triangle. The vineyard sits near the Bullnose vineyard, which is quite a different thing to your Gimblett Gravels style.
Hazelnut and pepper, blueberry and blackberry, with a sort of thyme and lavender perfume. It’s light to medium in body, crisp yet meaty, something of a cranberry crunch to it, fine peppery tannin, sappy acidity, a garrigue mouth-perfume, lacy and bright, pippy boysenberry/mulberry flavours and a crisp and spicy finish of good length. Plenty of energy and meaty/spicy charm.’ – 93 points. Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
