Wine columnist and connoisseur DENNIS KNILL gives his views on two of the best wines for the month.
Hawke’s Bay is renowned for its agriculture, fruit bowls, and combinations of good food and wine. It’s also one of our oldest wine regions, best known for its award-winning merlot, syrah, cabernet blends, and chardonnay. With over 100 vineyards Hawke’s Bay is our second largest winegrowing region, its warm, dry climate and diverse geography ideal for grape-growing conditions in all corners of its multi-faced terrain.
Church Road is not only the engine room and one of the glamour estates, but also the site of one of the oldest wineries in New Zealand, and at the industry forefront thanks to Tom McDonald who blazed a trail with his Bordeaux-style reds. Established from humble beginnings in 1897, Church Road is now much more than an historic cellar door, it’s preserved in time with some of the best labels that money can buy.
’21 Church Road 1 Single Vineyard Redstone syrah
RRP $120
Exceptionally flavoursome this carefully balanced dark in the glass wine joins all the dots with its ripe intensity and complexity and gentle tannins that linger long in the mouth. Will age well with careful cellaring. Serve with beef, venison and lamb.
’21 Church Road TOM syrah,
RRP $220
Produced as a tribute to Tom McDonald, this powerful vintage of the century wine will not disappoint. Bursting in strength and structure with a long, elegant finish, this is premium syrah at its very best. Pair with beef, duck, pork, veal, venison, and game.
