Steve Smith MW was in Australia to wave the flag for the 2022 vintage of Pyramid Valley’s Botanicals Collection. Smith & Sheth Wines
One always learns something during a meeting with New Zealander Steve Smith MW, the man who was pivotal in establishing Craggy Range, who put Hawke’s Bay’s Gimblett Gravels on the map, and who now heads up Smith & Sheth and Pyramid Valley.
He was in Australia to wave the flag for the 2022 vintage of Pyramid Valley’s Botanicals Collection of pinot noirs and chardonnays. It had been a long time between drinks: there was no wine from 2021 because the crop was wiped out by frost.
The wines are expensive but also superb. The style emphasises finesse and complexity.
Pyramid Valley was selected and first planted by Mike and Claudia Weersing. Mike sadly died prematurely, but not before establishing Pyramid Valley as one of New Zealand’s most promising vineyards for the Burgundy varieties, chardonnay and pinot noir. Cool inland South Island climate and rare calcareous soils being a winning combination.
Smith & Sheth bought the Waikari, North Canterbury, property in 2017. It’s just 1 km from the exalted Bell Hill vineyard. They have increased the planted area from 2 to 7 hectares, all high-density plantings.
As Smith relates, their first vintage was 2018, winemaker Hugh Kinch was employed for 2019, their ‘first real vintage’ in charge, then came 2020 which he describes as a ‘classic’ vintage. Then the horror frost wipeout in 2021, then 2022, an excellent
This Article was originally published on The Real Review
