As one of the first real wine regions to be developed, today, Hawkes Bay is the country's second largest. The varied topography and wide range of soil types, fertile silty loams to free- draining shingle produce a considerable range of wine styles in this large region. There are 22 categories of soil types on the Heretaunga Plains alone, from stones to hard pans to heavy silts. Ripening dates for a single grape variety can vary by as much as three weeks between the hot, shingle soils of the Gimblett Road area to the cool, higher altitude vineyards of central Hawke’s Bay. Long sunshine hours attract a high percentage of later-
ripening red grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah.The pioneering pursuit to marry the right grape to the perfect terrain has helped cultivate what is now becoming one of New Zealand’s latest and most exciting developments; Syrah. Hawke’s Bay Syrah has to be one of wines ‘best kept secrets’ at the moment. With only a handful of wineries growing and producing small amounts of Syrah, this is a highly specialised wine with limited availability. As a varietal which requires a significant amount of sunlight and longer ripening periods, Syrah is not normally associated with a country which is recognised as cool climate. But the unique conditions and hot, stony soils of the Gimblett Gravels are actually producing a distinctively unique style. Typically full of briary black fruit, often with an abundance of freshly ground white and/or black pepper on the nose and the palate, the wines have a style of their own and are definitely worth searching out.
A winery which has been at the forefront in this journey of development of New Zealand’s major wine producing regions is Mud House Wines. From early days in Marlborough, through to exploration of the emerging regions of Waipara and Central Otago, Mud House is now recognised as a leader for producing top quality regional wines of exceptional value. With the first plantings of the original estate vineyard in 1993, the first Mud House Wines were released in 1996. The winery was named after a rammed earth home that was built within the estate vineyard. Today, Mud House owns two wineries in Marlborough and Waipara and five vineyards located throughout the South Island; in Marlborough, Waipara Valley and a sub region of Central Otago – Bendigo. Mud House also selects fruit from several growers and long term partners in the Hawkes Bay, Gisborne, Nelson and Marlborough regions.
With countless accolades and high ratings for many of the wines, Mud House has gained substantial international recognition. Regardless of status, the owners, wine makers and team of Mud House have their feet firmly placed on the ground and strive to fulfill a combined passion to keep pushing the boundaries and make great wines. A goal which is a benefit to wine lovers the world over. - Steve House
For more information please visit montrose.com.hk or write to wine@hkgolfer.com
