At an event in Shanghai earlier this month featuring the wines of New Zealand’s Church Road, it was suggested that Hawke’s Bay might come up with its own region-specific varietal blend. Patrick Schmitt MW reports.
Headed by the producer’s chief winemaker Chris Scott (pictured), the event showcased a range of Church Road wines, from its outstanding Chardonnays to a first-rate single vineyard Merlot, as well as impressive Malbec, very fine Syrah, and then its range-topping red blend, which combines Cabernet and Merlot, with a touch of Malbec. Speaking about the latter wine, which hailed from the 2019 vintage, Scott said that creating the ideal combination of wines, which come from different vineyards and grape varieties, was a painstaking process. “It takes us about a week to blend this wine, and there are always surprises,” he said, commenting that just 0.5% Malbec in the 2019 vintage “has a huge influence”, despite representing such a “small component.” He added, “We make wine like chefs, and we are trying to make best wine we can based on our evaluation of the structure, aroma and flavours of the components: Merlot brings plummy fruit and a lush round mid-palate, while Cabernet Sauvignon brings length and more fragrance to the blend.” Continuing he said, “Our Bordeaux blends are the most challenging wines we make, but there is a synergy between these grapes, which means, if you get it right, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” At this point, one of the attendees
This Article was originally published on The Drink Business - Wine
