New Zealand has put itself on the red wine map making some pretty impressive Pinot Noir but the variety faces some stiff competition from Bordeaux blends and Syrah.
At Waiheke Island’s Passage Rock winery, co-founder and winemaker, David Evans says, “Sometimes I wonder why we are shouting so much about Pinot Noir when we make so much great Syrah.â€
David and his Swiss wife returned to New Zealand in the early ‘90s and initially thought they were going to focus on Merlot – perhaps that was something to do with drinking trends at the time or the fact they’d just visited Pétrus a few months earlier…
The producer is more focused on Syrah today but does make a dense Merlot as well as several Bordeaux blends. “Bordeaux varieties are great in a great year but the Syrah performs much better. It’s more consistent and more exciting.†During the rainy and cold 2001 and 2003 vintages, Cabernet Sauvignon was “horrible†yet Evans claims he has not had a bad year with Syrah.
After tasting the wines, the Syrahs are the star of the Passage Rock show with attractive violets, blackberries and cherries on the ’08, a fleshy palate and chunky ripe tannins. At $30 a bottle, it represents pretty good value for money compared to some of the other producers on the island.
In the next few blogs, I’ll be looking at whether Waiheke Island does Syrah or Bordeaux blends better, a problem called Brett, the worst drought since records began and, Blackpool…
