A few years ago I was invited to visit the Church Road Winery and flew down to Hawke's Bay for the day. When lunchtime came around we ate at the winery restaurant where (incredibly) no-one asked if we'd like a glass of wine to accompany the meal. As a nervous flyer, I was mightily relieved when Vic Williams suggested that a bottle may be in order, and enjoy it we did. The single bottle.
Fast forward and my, how things have changed. Church Road's latest release, the 2006 Reserve Syrah, was launched at Antoines in Parnell, possibly the most decadent of restaurants. And whereas the last CR repast had been utilitarian rather than lavish, this time we were (almost) overfaced and served an abundance of rich dishes, each one accompanied by a specific Reserve Church Road wine.
2007 Church Road Reserve Viognier 17.5
Hand harvested and whole bunch pressed, the character of the wine comes from leaving the grapes to ripen as long as possible to allow the opulent character of viognier to show. A touch of wild ferment, a little malo, some barrel ferment and voila ! Medium straw, headily aromatic with blossom, musk and honeysuckle, almost a touch of bran biscuit. The palate could almost be described as sweet such is its richness. According to winemaker Chris Scott the wine is technically dry, but the stated alcohol of 14.5% (methinks it is possibly a touch higher) gives a silky texture and viscosity to the palate. Musk, apricot and with a touch of biscuity richness. A whopper of a wine and all the better for being so.
2006 Church Road Reserve Chardonnay 18.5
A real evolution in style from previous vintages. Pale straw. Very nutty and biscuity – almost a touch of nougat. Really lovely aromatics; stonefruit especially white peach. The palate is lifted by lively acidity, the thread of minerality really adding definition. Oak is well judged, ading complexity but not overwhelming the fruit. Silky and complete with a long finish.
2005 Church Road Reserve Cabernet Merlot 18.0
In 2005 cabernet sauvignon, rather than merlot dominates the blend. Still carrying a deep, almost opaque colour, the nose has textbook aromas of cassis, cedar, dried thyme and black olive. The palate is silky, with finely grained tannins providing savoury contrast. Although quite obviously New World in origin, a lovely sappy, stalkiness runs through the palate, giving the refreshing 'lift', which is one of the most delicious hallmarks of really good claret. An elegant wine and a good reminder of how attractive properly constructed Bordeaux blends can be.
2006 Church Road Reserve Syrah 17.0
I am in two minds about New Zealand Syrah. I can't help feeling that wines that have masses of cracked pepper character are being lauded as being 'Northern Rhone' in style and awarded medals accordingly. But it takes so much more than just pepper to make great Syrah and often some of these medal winning wines just don't deliver on the palate. A recent tasting of Côte Rotie and Cornas put on by Maison Vauron was a salutary reminder that the very best syrahs have an elusive quality, especially on the nose, an aromatic lift – violets ? – that makes them stand out above and beyond straight varietalness. On the palate good syrah is silky, definitely concentrated but with texture and length. Personally I don't like to drink wines that are 'iron fists', preferring subtlety and elegance over power and brawn.
Thankfully the Reserve Syrah is firmly in the subtle bracket. The nose is strongly aromatic with notes of cracked pepper, violets and doris plum with touches of licquorice and chocolate whilst the palate has silky tannins and good structure without being too drying or firm. Possibly not as complete as the previous three wines, but definitely this is a wine with great potential.
Geoff Kelly and I had a discussion a few weeks ago (at the Penfold's Bin Release tasting) about consumer perception that big companies can't make great wine. As someone who has just had the first bottle from a case of Pinot Noir that had been cellared (from one of NZ's most highly regarded small wineries), which is so spoilt by brettanomyces as to make it almost undrinkable, this is a view that I don't share. Wine should be judged entirely on its own merits, without prejudice as to who made it.