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 19th October 2009

HAWKE’S BAY SYRAH SCOOPS HIGHEST SCORES EVER FROM WORLD’S NO.1 WINE CRITIC

The glory-scores for Hawke’s Bay Syrah just keep coming from the international wine press.  This past week proves no exception with UK-based wine expert Neal Martin embellishing a selection of Hawke’s Bay wines with some of the highest scores ever earned by New Zealand producers.  Scores that’ll certainly arouse increased international sales and visibility because Martin is the envoy for the world’s most influential wine critic Robert Parker and his publication The Wine Advocate.

Clearly Martin was seriously impressed, as a whopping eighteen Hawke’s Bay Syrah’s broke the 90-point barrier with a mighty 96 out of 100 being awarded to Craggy Range’s 2007 Le Sol Syrah.  The Wine Advocate ratings follow hot on the heels of a series of jaw-dropping comparative tastings held in New Zealand, London and San Francisco where a selection of Merlot and Cabernet-based reds from Hawke’s Bay’s Gimblett Gravels region consistently outclassed some of the famous first-growth wines of Bordeaux.

“Despite sensational accolades being earned over the years at international competition’s, it’s been an uphill battle for recognition from the international press as to whether Hawke’s Bay wines can cut it with the rest of the world” says Dr Alan Limmer of Stonecroft Wines, “but with these Wine Advocate scores and the hat-trick against Bordeaux, I hope that’s all about to change”. Hawke’s Bay’s Bordeaux styles, Chardonnay and aromatic whites also did extremely well earning between 89 and 95 points.


Neal has visited New Zealand a number of times, and from his latest scores what really stands out is Hawke’s Bay’s consistency; in fact the Stonecroft Gimblett Gravels Syrah earned the same score two years running.   “What I didn’t know ‘til this week was our 2006 had also been reviewed and then I saw that it scored same as 2007. That suggests consistency for the region, rather than relying on crash-hot vintages like 2007” remarks Limmer, a pioneer of Syrah in Hawke’s Bay. “Both Bilancia and Trinity Hill also entered Syrah from different vintages and got 90+ scores – so there you go”.


“What’s also fantastic for Hawke’s Bay is that all the wines tasted by Neal were given solid cellaring recommendations” says John Hancock of Trinity Hill Wines.  “Neal’s quoted as saying that for the best aging potential he’d  seek out the Syrah and under-rated Bordeaux blends, particularly from Hawke’s Bay’s Gimblett Gravels area – that’s a fantastic endorsement” Hancock adds.  “There’s a perception out there that because our industry is so young there’s no way our wines could possibly be as good, or age as well as our old-world competition – which is a load of rubbish.  These recent results prove that wines dating back to 2007 will cellar impressively until at least 2020”.


Of course that’s if you can wait that long. As for now though, we’ll give Mr Martin the last word:
“New Zealand’s strength is that it can offer an alternative to the Old World, unencumbered with strict AOC rules, adept at promoting their wines and often representing great value. It is a wine industry coalescing, asking itself: What exactly am I and what will I become? The answer at present is “a bit of everything,” which begs the question: Is New Zealand the France of the New World? It is within their grasp.”

Source: Yvonne-Marie Lorkin -The Vondu Set.