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There was a good turnout for the evening, although numbers were down due to illness, and in one case, nearly the whole table was absent due to Covid. We hope everyone is feeling much better at this stage.
Wayne had organised this evening on his own and had a bit of a shortbread competition with his wife – not mentioning who won!
The first half of the evening was simply tasting some of the wines and discussing the different grapes and countries these came from.
The second half of the evening was a taste and tipple scenario. We had shortbread, strawberries, cheese & crackers, and Christmas cake to sample after we had had our first taste of each wine. This was to see if our taste buds registered any meaningful changes to the taste and texture of the wines.
The wines we sampled were:
First half
Lindauer Free ‘non-alcohol’ Brut was our surprise starter. It was made from Chardonnay and Pinot noir grapes and was poured blind. Whist some thought it was closer to a cider in taste and style, nobody guessed what this was correctly!
Tosti Prosecco DOC form the Piedmont region in Italy
Perelada Brut Reserva Carva NV –Spain
Morton Estate Premium Brut – NZ
Second half
Grant Burge Petite Bubbles Dry Sparkling – Australian
Louis Bouillot Perle De Vigne Cremant De Bourgogne – French
Two more mysteries to go with the Christmas Cake to finish off – these were also both poured blind:
A Hawke’s Bay Syrah has won the top prize at the 2015 Air New Zealand Wine Awards, presented last night at Nelson’s Saxton Stadium.
The Church Road McDonald Series Syrah 2013 won the prestigious Air New Zealand Champion Wine of the Show Trophy, as well as the Fruitfed Supplies Champion Syrah Trophy. Chair of Judges and Master of Wine Michael Brajkovich said the Church Road McDonald Series Syrah 2013 was one of the fuller-bodied Syrahs in this year’s competition.
“It’s a wine with lovely ripe black fruit and floral Syrah characters, and very well-handled subtle oak influence,” said Mr Brajkovich. “The palate is full-bodied, with rich berry fruit and firm tannins to fill out the finish and ensure a long maturation potential.
“Syrah provided a quality class of wine, displaying a diversity of styles from fresh, vibrant peppery and herbal, to full-bodied rich and ripe black-fruit styles, with significant oak impact and earthy tannins.”
There were strong trophy contenders across the 16 classes, but the winners prevailed by having that “extra something special”, Mr Brajkovich said.
The second highest accolade of the evening, the O-I New Zealand Reserve Wine of the Show Trophy, went to the Lake Chalice The Raptor Chardonnay Marlborough 2014. This exceptional Chardonnay also won the Rabobank New Zealand Champion Chardonnay Trophy.
Air New Zealand Chief Operating Officer Bruce Parton said the airline was a longstanding partner of the New Zealand wine industry, which continued to produce some of the world’s best wines.
“We’ve been a proud sponsor of the awards for 29 years, and are passionate about promoting home-grown wines and showcasing New Zealand as a destination for wine tourism.”
“It’s been fantastic to see such a large number of entries in this year’s competition from wineries across the country. We wish to congratulate all medal and trophy winners.”
As well as the 18 trophies awarded, 36 Pure Elite Gold Medals and one Elite Gold Medal were announced at the dinner, which was emceed by TV3’s Hilary Barry and Mike McRoberts. This year’s competition saw 1,407 wines entered, 99 percent of which were accredited as being sustainably produced.
The Air New Zealand Wine Awards celebrate excellence in New Zealand winemaking and are widely considered to be the country’s most prestigious wine competition. New Zealand Winegrowers, the national organisation for the country’s 1,600 grape growers and winemakers, has owned and organised the competition for 40 years.
Air NZ wine awards 2015 – Trophy winners
Air New Zealand Champion Wine of the Show Church Road McDonald Series Syrah 2013
O-I New Zealand Reserve Wine of the Show Lake Chalice The Raptor Chardonnay Marlborough 2014
JF Hillebrand New Zealand Champion Pinot Noir Brightwater Vineyards Pinot Noir Nelson 2014
Label and Litho Ltd Champion Sauvignon Blanc Delta Hatters Hill Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2014
Rabobank New Zealand Champion Chardonnay Lake Chalice The Raptor Chardonnay Marlborough 2014
Pinot Gris Greystone Pinot Gris Waipara Valley 2015 Isabel Pinot Gris Marlborough 2015 Saint Clair Premium Pinot Gris Marlborough 2014 Yealands Estate Single Vineyard Pinot Gris Awatere Valley, Marlborough 2015
Riesling Ceres Black Rabbit Vineyard Riesling Central Otago 2015 Peter Yealands Riesling Marlborough 2015 Spy Valley Envoy Riesling Marlborough 2010
Sauvignon Blanc Delta Hatters Hill Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2014 Rapaura Springs Reserve Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2015 Saint Clair Premium Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2015 The Ned Waihopai River Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2015 Vidal Estate Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2015
Chardonnay Church Road Grand Reserve Chardonnay 2013 Lake Chalice The Raptor Chardonnay Marlborough 2014 Mission Estate Jewelstone Chardonnay Hawke’s Bay 2014 Nautilus Chardonnay Marlborough 2014 Villa Maria Library Release Chardonnay Hawke’s Bay 2010 Villa Maria Reserve Chardonnay Hawke’s Bay 2014 Villa Maria Single Vineyard Taylors Pass Chardonnay Marlborough 2014
Sweet Wine Giesen The Brothers Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2014 Seifried Winemakers Collection Sweet Agnes Riesling Nelson 2015
Rosé Aspiring Flats Rosé Central Otago 2015
Pinot Noir Akitu A2 Pinot Noir Central Otago 2014 Brightwater Vineyards Pinot Noir Nelson 2014 Coal Pit Tiwha Pinot Noir Central Otago 2014 Giesen Single Vineyard Selection Ridge Block Pinot Noir Marlborough 2013 Kuru Kuru Pinot Noir Central Otago 2014 Spy Valley Pinot Noir Marlborough 2013
Merlot, Cabernet and Blends Saint Clair Pioneer Block 17 Plateau Merlot Hawke’s Bay 2014 Vidal Reserve Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Syrah Church Road McDonald Series Syrah 2013 Matua Single Vineyard Syrah Hawke’s Bay 2014
Other Varieties – Single Waimea Family Estate Albariño Nelson 2015
Elite Gold Medals
Sparkling Daniel Le Brun Méthode Traditionnelle Blanc De Blancs Marlborough 2009
An interesting evening hosted by Michael Jemison, Macvine International. Michael displayed a good style while giving a good level of information during the presentation. However, the turnout at 32 was a little disappointing. Some great discounts offered for those who purchased.
The wines offered included; Ca Di Rajo 2013 Prosecco Superiore Valdobbiadene DOCG Millesimato Extra Dry; Yerring Station Yarrabank Cuvee 2010; Andre Delorme Terroir d’Exception Blanc de blanc NV; Kerpen 2013 Riesling Kabinett; Dumangin Brut le Rose Premium Cru NV; Dumangin Premier Cru Vintage Champagne 2003, and all rounded off with a Clark Estate Noble Pinot Gris 2011.
