Sacred Hill is recognised as one of New Zealand's leading, multi award winning wineries. Focusing on the production of premium 'handcrafted' varietal wines the company's estate vineyards are located in New Zealand's leading grape growing regions of Marlborough, Hawkes Bay and Central Otago.
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3 November 2010
Sacred Hill Special Selection Wines Top Wellington's Regional Wines and Spirits Tasting – Reviewed by Geoff Kelly
Tony Bish, Sacred Hill's Senior Winemaker hosted a tasting of a range of wines and vintages across their Special Selection Range to consumers, trade and media at Wellington's Regional Wines and Spirits on 11 October 2010. Sacred Hill's Special Selection wines are only produced in vintages where conditions are optimum. Geoff Kelly attended the event and reviewed the presented wines, all reached a minimum of 4 star, with most rated 5 star. Reviews as below.
2008 Sacred Hill Syrah Deerstalkers 18 + 4 stars
Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand: 14%; $50 [ screwcap; hand picked, 100% de-stemmed without crushing, extended cuvaison followed by 18 months in French oak, less new than 2007; Ruby, carmine and velvet, brighter and fresher than even the Hospices wine, and a similar weight. Bouquet is close to the best Guigals here, but purer, displaying a cassis-led aromatic profile with less blueberries than the denser Deerstalker 2007. It is still very youthful, with wallflower florals and vanillin from oak still to marry in. Palate is the lightest of the three Deerstalkers, but precision is in one sense the greatest, due to restraint with the oak. It was exciting to hear winemaker / CEO Tony Bish comment that they are more and more treating syrah as pinot noir, to respect the fruit more – a thought which has long been close to my heart. The close rapport between this fresh Deerstalkers and the St Joseph Hospices wine is an eye-opener. Cellar 5 – 12 years.
2007 Sacred Hill Syrah Deerstalkers 18 ½ + 5 stars
Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand: 14%; $49 [ screwcap; hand picked, 100% de-stemmed without crushing, extended cuvaison followed by 18 months in French oak, some new; Ruby, carmine and velvet, the richest and deepest of the various wines in this set. Bouquet on this 2007 Deerstalkers Syrah is sensational, by far the finest under this label so far, with much more careful use of oak. The berry component is a notch riper than the Guigals, quite a measure of blueberry in the cassis softening the aromatics and hiding the florality somewhat. In mouth, the richness and balance is wonderful, though more new oak is evident now, but the length of berry and flavour is excellent. The total style is astonishingly reminiscent of great Hermitage, in a warmer year than 2006 or 2005. Cellar 5 – 20 years, maybe longer. GK 10/10
2009 Sacred Hill Chardonnay Riflemans 18 ½ 5 stars
Dartmoor Valley, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand: 14%; $55 [ screwcap; hand-picked clone mendoza, whole-bunch pressed to barrel; wild-yeast ferments; 100% MLF, 12 months LA and some batonnage in French oak up to 40% new and balance 1-year; RS < 2g/L; Lemon-straw. Bouquet is still very young, showing the building-blocks rather than the finished item. Oak is overtly apparent at this stage, with rich fruit, yeast autolysis and stonefruit chardonnay behind it. Palate builds up the fruit component, with waxy MLF richness still to marry with the oak, and make both less apparent. Total style is softer richer and bolder than the Kumeu examples, so the two wineries make a beautifully complementary tasting. I am hoping to re-rate this wine, the next time I see it. Cellar 3 – 10 years. GK 10/10
2007 Sacred Hill Chardonnay Riflemans 19 5 stars
Dartmoor Valley, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand: 14%; $55 [ screwcap; hand-picked clone mendoza, whole-bunch pressed to barrel; wild-yeast ferments; 100% MLF, 12 months LA and some batonnage in French oak up to 40% new and balance 1-year; RS 2.3 g/L; A wonderful glowing full lemon. Bouquet opens just a little reluctantly in the New Zealand context, but considering the French prototype and the barrel work this winestyle may be subjected to, it is understandable. With only slight aeration / decanting it clears to mealy / toasty / autolysed chardonnay fruit, the oak marrying away now, and the autolysis giving a baguette-crust quality of complexity. For chardonnay with its considerable barrel elevage, it is a fine line between a positive nett impression, and tending reductive. The fact some French chardonnays are patently reductive is not a reason to introduce any more of this character into our fresher New Zealand chardonnays, I believe. Like the 2007 Sauvage, the palate is magical, showing a saturation of nectarine fruit and subtle white-butter MLF complexity and texture which is enchanting. Acid balance is fresh and firm, and the length of flavour astonishing. This is great New Zealand chardonnay, which will cellar 2 – 8 years. GK 10/10
2005 Sacred Hill Chardonnay Riflemans 19 5 stars
Dartmoor Valley, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand: 14%; $ – [ screwcap; hand-picked clone mendoza, whole-bunch pressed to barrel; wild-yeast ferments; partial MLF, 12 months LA and some batonnage in French oak; RS <2g/L; Lemon-straw with a light gold wash, deeper than the 2005 Sauvage. The contrast between the 2007 and the 2005 Riflemans is vivid, but both are great chardonnays. The 2005 is now at its first point of maturity, with mellow and enticing aromas of golden queen peach rather than nectarines, yellow butter rather than white, and stunning baguette-crust complexity. The oak component is now completely integrated and invisible. Palate is rich and round yet still fine and fresh. Though you can smell butter in the best sense, it does not taste of it, and there is no hint of flabbyness. Oak is apparent on the later palate – compared with the top Kumeu chardonnays oak is at a maximum in Riflemans. This will hold for another 2 – 4 years, depending on how old you like your chardonnay. GK 10/10
2007 Sacred Hill Sauvignon Blanc Sauvage 18 ½ + 5 stars
Hawkes Bay, New Zealand: 13.5%; $35 [ screwcap; hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed to barrel; wild-yeast ferments; no MLF, 8 months LA but no batonnage in French oak 30 – 40% new and balance 2-year; RS <1g/L; Gorgeous lemon. Bouquet is rich, just marrying-up into the first phase of full development, the fruit, oak and autolysis combining to produce a tangy sautéed red capsicum aroma with hints of Castrol GTX (+ve). Palate brings out the baguette-quality barrel-ferment and autolysis in the fruit, which seems finer, richer and cooler than the 2008, with black passionfruit lingering delightfully. This is a benchmark example of the style, to cellar 2 – 8 years at least. The 2007 illustrates why Sacred Hill's Sauvage is becoming one of New Zealand's most famous serious sauvignons. Along with Te Mata's Cape Crest, Cloudy Bays' rather different Te Koko, and a few other more recent examples of the barrel-fermented style, they provide a satisfying and contrasting alternative to the ubiquitous stainless-steel Marlborough sauvignons. GK 10/10
2005 Sacred Hill Sauvignon Blanc Sauvage 18 ½ 5 stars
Hawkes Bay, New Zealand: 13%; $ – [ screwcap; hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed to barrel; wild-yeast ferments; no MLF, 8 months LA but no batonnage in French oak 30 – 40% new and balance 1-year; RS <1g/L; Lemon-straw, with a wash of brass. There is intriguing variation in the nature of the fruit in these three examples of Sauvage, the 2005 showing a slightly cooler rendering of sauvignon blanc than the 2007, with slightly more Marlborough cues: sweet basil and yellow as well as red capsicums, plus the same elevage complexities the younger two wines show. Palate brings up the fruit qualities to show beautiful richness and texture, clear baguette-quality yeast autolysis, oak now attractively married away. It is not quite as perfectly ripe as the 2007, and is at the beginning of full maturity now. It will cellar for several years more, but not as long as the 2007. GK 10/10
2008 Sacred Hill Sauvignon Blanc Sauvage 18 4 stars
Hawkes Bay, New Zealand: 13.5%; $35 [ screwcap; hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed to barrel; wild-yeast ferments; no MLF, 8 months LA but no batonnage in French oak 30 – 40% new and balance 2-year; RS 3g/L; Lemon. Bouquet is in the Hawke's Bay / ripe-fruits spectrum of sauvignon blanc, more pepino, red capsicum and English gooseberry ripened through to the red stage. Oak is yet to fully marry away, and the fruit seems not as deep in this year's wine. Nonetheless, the barrel-ferment and lees-autolysis components are impressive, with the play of almost baguette-crust aromas on gooseberry fruit attractive. This year's wine is not as bone dry as some have been, but the residual sugar is not apparent. Cellar 2 – 5 years. GK 10/10
2007 Sacred Hill Merlot Brokenstone 18 + 4 stars
Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand: 14%; $55 [ screwcap; Me 90.5%, CF 4.5, CS 4, hand-picked from 7 year old vines @ just under 2.5 t/ac; 18 months in French oak 75% new; Ruby, carmine and velvet, about the same weight as the Black Barn Merlot, but naturally not as vivid. This is a bigger, richer, riper and oakier wine than the Black Barn, but being two years older, it communicates better. Even so, there is a robustness about it which did not suit me for the varietal exposition at Lincoln, where I wanted to display the essential florality of fine temperate-climate merlot. But that said, this merlot still displays a quality Australia can only dream off, in such a subtle variety. The plummyness of the fruit is a notch riper than the Black Barn, probably explaining the lesser floral component. Oak is a little high. Cellar 5 – 15 + years. GK 10/10
2008 Sacred Hill Merlot Brokenstone 17 ½ + 4 stars
Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand: 14%; $55 [ screwcap; Me 90%, CS 10, hand-picked; 18 months in French oak, some new; Ruby, some velvet, lighter than the 2007. This is a lighter and prettier wine than the 2007, the plums a little redder. In mouth, it is a little oaky and austere alongside the Black Barn, needing more time in bottle to blossom. It makes an interesting comparison with the 2007, illustrating the difference in the two vintages well. Cellar 5 – 12 years. GK 10/10
20 October 2010
Sacred Hill scoops Trophy and Gold at Hawke's Bay Wine Awards
Sacred Hill's Riflemans Chardonnay has scooped yet another accolade to add to its glowing stable.
The 2004 Riflemans Chardonnay has been awarded a Trophy and Gold medal in the Museum Class category at the 10th annual Hawke's Bay A&P Mercedes-Benz Wine Awards 2010 held last night (19th October).
Riflemans Chardonnay is no stranger to accolades. The 2007 vintage was a joint winner of the 2010 Sydney International Wine Competition Perpetual Trophy, for best fuller bodied dry white table wine, and also picked up a Blue-Gold award. In March this year, it was awarded a Gold medal and Champion Chardonnay New World Trophy at the 57th Royal Easter Show. It has also gained the sought-after five-star Cuisine Magazine stamp of excellence.
“Riflemans Chardonnay continues to go from strength to strength. It gained Gold medals previously in the 2005 and 2006 Hawke's Bay Wine Awards, so following this with a Trophy for one of our older vintages in this year's Awards, is fantastic news. It really goes to prove that these wines simply get better with age. We have received some extraordinary accolades over the past few months and this medal further confirms the exceptional quality of this particular vineyard,” says Tony Bish, Sacred Hill Senior Winemaker.
As are all of Sacred Hill's Special Selection Range, Riflemans Chardonnay is only produced in years when the quality of grapes is considered to be of a high enough standard. Both the 2004 and 2007 vintages were deemed to be outstanding, with the Hawke's Bay region experiencing exceptional weather allowing maximum fruit maturity and flavour development.
“We were compared against some outstanding competition and we are thrilled, this shows the outstanding nature of Hawke's Bay for producing high quality, award-winning wines,” says Bish.
The Hawke's Bay A&P Mercedes-Benz Wine Awards is the only regional wine competition in New Zealand. The awards were held in a spectacular silk-lined marquee in the historic Waikoko Gardens. More than 400 guests attended the prestigious event, hosted by master of ceremonies, well-known New Zealand entertainer Frankie Stevens.
3 August 2010
Sacred Hill is delighted to announce the release of the 2010 Sacred Hill Special Selection Range, showcasing four handcrafted wines that represent the pinnacle of winegrowing achievements from our passionate team of people.
The four new wines are:
• Deerstalkers Syrah 2008
• Brokenstone Merlot 2008
• Sauvage Sauvignon 2008
• Rifleman's Chardonnay 2009
Special Selection wines are derived from parcels of grapes grown exclusively on Estate and Mason Family vineyards, including Riflemans Terraces and Gimblett Gravels, vineyards known for near perfect growing and ripening conditions as nature allows.
We do not produce these wines every vintage, but only when the winemaking team are confident that the vineyard and winery have delivered superior quality. These limited edition wines are the result of intense collaboration between Sacred Hill viticulture and winemaking teams, orchestrated by Chief Winemaker, Tony Bish.
Special Selection wines represent our finest achievements, each bottle infused with all the handcrafted, time-honoured expertise of any world-class boutique wine. The vintages in the 2010 release are no exception.
Hawke's Bay experienced a fairly typical summer with temperatures and rainfall close to average. January and February temperatures were warm but not excessive. A relatively heavy down pour in late February did however compromise our early ripening Riflemans Chardonnay vineyard, so we have chosen not to produce this exceptional wine from 2008. We enjoyed reasonably good autumn weather in March and April, and were able to fully ripen Sauvignon Blanc for Sauvage and our Gimblett Gravels reds. The outstanding wines of the vintage for Sacred Hill are Sauvage Sauvignon, Brokenstone Merlot and Deerstalkers Syrah.
As for the Rifleman's Chardonnay, the vineyard performed well, and we secured ripe and rich fruit to work with in the barrel room. With no 2008 Riflemans the long awaited 2009 Rifleman's is a limited release with just 170 cases due for release in New Zealand. Based on the success of the 2007 Rifleman's Chardonnay, the 2009 vintage will be highly sort after.
Rifleman's Chardonnay 2007 has won three high profile awards in 2010 already, including two international trophies. These include:
• The sought after five-star Cuisine Magazine top wine of the annual Chardonnay tasting, attaining the stamp of excellence;
• The Sydney International Wine Competition in February, winning the SWIC Perpetual Trophy as well as a Blue-Gold award for best fuller bodied dry white table wine.
• The 57th Royal Easter Show Wine Awards in March, claiming the Champion Chardonnay New World trophy. Earlier in the month, the Royal Easter Show Wine Awards awarded Riflemans a gold medal, automatically placing it in the trophy finals.
The Special Selection wines sit at the premium end of the market and continue to be award winning single vineyard wines that define Sacred Hills passion for fine wine.
Sacred Hill Special Selection range wines are available from fine wine retailers and restaurants.
12 July 2010
The National Bank Country Calendar Toasts Sacred Hill – A Great New Zealand Winery
Watch on line @ tvnz.co.nz/country-calendar:
TV One on Saturday, 31 July at 7pm
The intrepid journey of famous Hawke's Bay winery, Sacred Hill, will feature on New Zealand's longest running television series, The National Bank Country Calendar on TV One, Saturday, 31 July at 7pm.
The story begins in the mid 1980s, when the Mason family boldly diversified from sheep and cattle to viticulture, transforming their stunning Dartmoor Valley farmland to new found wine country.
It was a bid to escape tough farming conditions at the time, but the Mason's soon learned the rigours of grape producing when the original vineyard was repeatedly wiped out by drought, flood and then Cyclone Bola.
All the while, brothers David and Mark Mason were discovering their love of wine. Teaming up with friend and winemaker, Tony Bish, the Sacred Hill wine label was born. The name is derived from Puketapu - which means ‘sacred hill' in Maori - a small village close to the estate.
Near on a quarter of a century later, Sacred Hill is one of New Zealand's most prolific wine producers, with three vineyards in the Hawke's Bay as well as plantations plantings in other key wine growing territories, including Marlborough.
The National Bank Country Calendar Producer, Julian O'Brien, believes the Sacred Hill story represents a significant era in New Zealand's farming heritage.
“The Sacred Hill story is a family story - of their survival in rural New Zealand during profoundly tough times in the history of New Zealand's farming community. The new direction they sought signified a new era in provincial New Zealand as winemaking began to explode.”
For the programme, The National Bank Country Calendar focus on the Sacred Hill of today - the family life of David Mason and Tracy Haslam, raising their children on in the original Mason family homestead, the 2010 harvest and the philosophies of award-winning winemaker, Tony Bish, who shares the blending process of the 2009 Rifleman's Chardonnay , a consistent award-winner for the brand.
Says David Mason, Managing Director of the Sacred Hill Winery:
“It has been a pleasure opening our doors to The National Bank Country Calendar this year. We are very proud of our story here at Sacred Hill. To be profiled on a series that has become a New Zealand institution for telling great rural yarns, is a great thrill.
“We hope people will learn more about the Sacred Hill brand and better understand our passion for making stunning New Zealand wines.”
February 2010
Riflemans Chardonnay brings home a trophy from the Sydney International Wine Competition 2010
Popular Sacred Hill chardonnay, Riflemans, has been commended at one of Australia's most high profile wine competitions.
2007 Riflemans Chardonnay was a joint winner of the SWIC Perpetual Trophy, for best fuller bodied dry white table wine of the competition, (alongside Serafino Reserve Chardonnay 2008) as well as picking up a Blue-Gold award at the 2010 Sydney International Wine Competition.
Riflemans also qualified in the Top 100 Wines of the Competition, carrying the distinction of being in the top 5 per cent of the thirteen Style Categories of the 2010 Competition.
The independent wine competition takes a unique approach to its judging criteria, awarding trophies to wine for its compatibility with food, aiming to help consumers choose pleasing wines to complement dishes they enjoy at their dining table.
Instead of varietal categories, wine is classified according to palate weight - Lighter, Medium and Fuller Bodied Styles.
At judging, the winning New Zealand chardonnay was paired with Salmon Wellington accompanied by Pea and Mint Puree.
The international panel of judges awarded the Blue-Gold award supported by the following accolades:
• “A seamless, well structured wine that offers up much complexity … It is a well made wine. A very complex, elegant and light wine.” Chuck Hayward, USA
• “The nose had lifted, flinty, toasty, classic Burgundian characters. The palate was concentrated, fine, big and powerful yet balanced with a nice bright, bouncy finish.” Adrian Atkinson, UK
• “Ripe white peach with attractive vanilla bean aromas. It's rounded and soft in the mouth. The wine is balanced and harmonious.” Neil Hadley, Australia
The Sydney International Wine Competition is principally aimed at helping wine consumers make more pleasing wine choices for their dining table, attracting entries from both boutique and large commercial wine companies.
Riflemans won first-equal (alongside Serafino Reserve Chardonnay 2008)
February 2010
Smooth and Supple Summer Pinot Gris from Sacred Hill Winery
Sacred Hill has released its 2009 Marlborough Pinot Gris into its highly respected Reserve range. The Sacred Hill Reserve range offers premium quality wine created from grapes grown in specially selected vineyard sites in Marlborough and Hawke's Bay.
The 2009 growing season in Marlborough was exceptional, characterized by the long, warm and very dry autumn period, which allowed the grapes to reach optimum ripeness and flavour. The fruit ripened beautifully, yielding a depth of flavour and purity that is both charming and elegant.
According to Sacred Hill winemaker Tony Bish of all the varietals the Pinot Gris was a star and the 2009 vintage has set a new benchmark for Marlborough's Pinot Gris producers.
“This vintage was harvested entirely from our spectacular estate vineyard “Hells Gate”, in the lower Waihopai Valley. Here we managed yields and canopies to produce concentrated and fully ripened fruit. This is our finest Pinot Gris to date, and demonstrates beautifully the potential of this varietal when grown with passion and commitment,” says Bish.
The 2009 Pinot Gris presents itself with an enticing floral aroma, with hints of lychee and spicy pear notes. The palate is a rich textured mix of lovely apple cinnamon and pear flavours.
The 2009 Sacred Hill Pinot Gris is available at wine outlets nationwide. RRP $20.90.
January 2010
2008 HALO Hawke's Bay Merlot – a beautifully sculptured and defined wine expression
Sacred Hill has released its 2008 HALO Hawke's Bay Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc into its new HALO range. The range brings premium quality, small parcel wines back into people's everyday enjoyment.
Under the watchful eye of senior wine maker Tony Bish, grapes for the 2008 HALO Hawke's Bay Merlot have been harvested from the Sacred Hill Estate owned vineyard in Gimblett Gravels. These vineyards also produce the renowned Special Selection Helmsman Cabernet Merlot and Brokenstone Merlot.
The 2008 HALO Hawke's Bay Merlot is a deep and inky colour, with a ripe scented nose of black fruits and notes of cocoa, mocha and nutty oak. The palate has an elegant and concentrated expression of pure fruits common to this classic varietal.
The HALO wines are a genuine reflection of the land from where they come as well as the people who put the time and effort into lovingly tending the vines and bringing the individual wines to life.
According to Bish these wines should appeal to those looking for that little bit more in their wine, fresh, vibrant New Zealand styles with some of the old world, hand crafted techniques applied to them.
2008 HALO Hawke's Bay Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc is available in premium wine outlets, restaurants and bars throughout NZ. RRP $25.90
December 09
Sensational Pinots to Suit Every Palate
Sacred Hill has released two new wine varietals. The first is the 2008 HALO Marlborough Pinot Noir. This wine is part of the new HALO range which brings premium quality, small parcel wines back into people's everyday enjoyment
August 2009
Sacred Hill scoops top accolades at the Romeo Bragato Wine Awards
Sacred Hill Helmsman 2007 collected the Champion Classical Red Wine and Tom McDonald Memorial Trophy at the Romeo Bragato Wine Awards held in Hawkes Bay (22nd – 23rd August).
As well as the top trophy accolade Sacred Hill also walked away with two Gold and four Silver medals. The Gold medals were awarded for the 2007 Sacred Hill Helmsman Cabernet Merlot and the 2007 Sacred Hill Deerstalkers Syrah, whilst Silver was given for the 2007 Sacred Hill Wine Thief Syrah, 2008 Wine Thief Chardonnay, Sacred Hill Rifleman Chardonnay and 2007 Sacred Hill Brokenstone Merlot.
The Awards give recognition to vitracultural excellence and recognize the influence of grape growers and their vineyards in creating the unique qualities of New Zealand wine.
The Sacred Hill Helmsman result comes on the back of strong recognition and accolades for the 2005 and 2006 vintages. Already the 2007 vintage, which was only recently released, has been pre-sold on allocation.
As with the Helmsman, grapes for the other Gold winner Sacred Hill Deerstalker Syrah are sourced from estate Gimblett Gravels vineyards. Currently Syrah is the ‘rising star' of Hawkes Bay and this wine highlights this ascent.
“Hard work in Sacred Hill's Gimblett Gravels vineyards has been duly rewarded. Our vineyard team is passionate about growing super premium grapes, and no stone has been left unturned in their efforts to achieve excellence in the field of viticulture,” says Bish.
