Visiting
New Zealand's
wine regions
Part 13: Sacred Hill, Hawkes Bay
Website: www.sacredhill.com
Tony Bish (right) began working at Sacred Hill
at the beginning, in 1985, and the first vintage, 1986, was just
350 cases. Shortly afterwards he went off down south and, among
other gigs, he was the first winemaker in Central Otago. He came
back to Hawkes Bay to rejoin Sacred Hill in 1994 when production
had grown and 200 tons were being crushed annually. He’s been
here ever since and Sacred Hill is now a 300 000 case operation
that currently exports around 40% of its production to the UK and
USA.
‘We are regarded by our peer group as being
Chardonnay experts’, says Bish. ‘Rifleman’s [the top
Chardonnay in the range] is iconic in New Zealand’. The wine in
question certainly is quite special. It is own-rooted Mendoza
clone Chardonnay from an elevated river terrace, with deep-rooted,
dry-farmed vines. The fruit is hand-picked and whole-bunch pressed
with no rotation for 4–5 hours. ‘We get wonderfully clear
juice’, says Bish, ‘which we settle for 6 hours and then put
in barrel’. Some yeast nutrients (Fermaid) are added, but
fermentation is with indigenous yeasts.
‘Our natural fermentations are by no means
haphazard’, states Bish. ‘We watch them carefully: it’s a
managed process’. Malolactic is natural. Apart from Fermaid, the
first addition is in the spring when the first sulphur dioxide
additions are made.
The wines tried here were all pretty serious, with
consistently high quality, but it was the Chardonnay that was the
real standout.
Sacred Hill Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007
An aromatic grapefruit and gooseberry style that’s really
in-yer-face. The palate is vivid with herb-tinged fruit and good
acidity. Lovely rounded character. 90/100
Sacred Hill Barrel Ferment Chardonnay 2006 Hawkes
Bay
Fresh, with subtle melon, herb, fig and toast nose. Fruit
driven and refined. The palate is richly textured, nutty and
refined with broad, stylish flavours and a sophisticated veneer of
oak. 91/100
Sacred Hill Marlborough Pinot Noir 2007
Very appealing with bright cherry and herb nose. The palate
has a lovely sappy undertone to the bright berry fruits. A
sophisticated, elegant style with good freshness. 90/100
Sacred Hill Basket Press Merlot Cabernet 2006
Mostly from the Gimblett Gravels. Deep coloured. Focused nose
shows fresh dark fruits, leading to a palate with expressive,
balanced, bright fruit. Nice subtle structure with a hint of
greenness. Tasty stuff. 88/100
Sacred Hill Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2006
Fresh, vibrant red and black fruits nose with a nice savoury
quality, as well as a bit of white pepper freshness. Supple,
savoury and quite charming. Drinkable, digestible wine. 90/100
Sacred Hill Special Selection Sauvage Hawkes Bay
Sauvignon Blanc 2006
Aromatic, but not in a typical Sauvignon way: notes of quince
and lime with a tangy, exotic, spicy edge. The palate has a
smokiness as well as spicy, fresh mandarin fruit. Fantastic stuff.
91/100
Sacred Hill Special Selection Riflemans Chardonnay
2006
Refined, nutty, toasty nose, which is elegant despite the
intensity. Broad, complex, powerful nutty palate with rich fruit
and some nectarine and mandarin freshness. Mouthfilling and nutty
with lovely breadth of fruit. Delicious. 93/100
Sacred Hill Special Selection Riflemans Chardonnay
2004
Nutty, minerally nose with almost a salty, mineral tang, with
some herbs as well. Quite complex and still youthful. The palate
has a toasty edge to the broad but focused fruit character, with
mandarin brightness on the eternal bready, nutty finish. 94/100
Sacred Hill Special Selection Brokenstone Merlot
2004
Lovely blackcurrant fruit nose with a nice savoury, earthy
edge. Quite focused and dense. The palate has an attractive earthy
savouriness with plummy blackcurrant fruit and a tight spicy
finish. 91/100
Sacred Hill Special Selection Helmsmann Cabernet
2004
Fine restrained aromatic nose with some gravelliness and dark
fruit character. The palate is lively and fresh with high acid and
very fine refined bright fruit. Real potential here for further
development, and there’s a hint of earthiness under the fruit.
92/100
Sacred Hill Special Selection Deerstalkers Syrah
2006 Gimblett Gravels
Very deep coloured. Taut, focused nose of spicy, fresh dark
fruits. Fresh and intense. The palate is concentrated with
expressive pure dark fruit and lovely focus. A fresh style, but
with sweet dark fruit and some spicy complexity. Lots of potential
for development. 92/100
Wines tasted 11/07
Find these wines with wine-searcher.com
Back
to top
|