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Vidal 2007 Hawkes Bay Syrah

Most people tend to think of white wines in summer, or maybe Rose, as both can be served chilled. There are times though, when a glass of red can be particularly enjoyable. This brings me to my choice of wine this week, Vidal’s Hawkes Bay Syrah.

2007 proved to be a particularly good year for Syrah in the Hawkes Bay, so I looked forward to trying it. Vidal sourced fruit predominantly from their Gimblett Gravels vineyards. There alluvial deposits of gravel, sand and stone combine with high temperatures to create a low yielding and free draining environment for the grapes. The remaining 7% of fruit came from a hillside vineyard on Roys Hill. As usual, the grapes were harvested when they were judged to have reached their optimum ripeness and were also harvested in optimum condition.

At the vineyard, the grapes were destemmed then lightly crushed and fermented in small batches. During the ferment, the must was hand-plunged and pumped over on skins to extract desirable tannin levels, colour and flavour. The wine was then pressed off and run to barrel where it completed malolactic fermentation over the winter and spring periods. It was allowed to rest in French oak for 18 months before being lightly egg-white fined and bottled.

I found the Vidal 2007 Hawkes Bay Syrah to have lifted floral notes with hints of black pepper. This wine has an intense palate of berry and spice. It is a well balanced and well defined wine with a long lingering finish and approachable tannins. It is an excellent Syrah and one which is not only drinking well now but should also develop further complexity over the next five years. I think it is an excellent wine to enjoy with that kiwi favourite – lamb chops, or you could take the winemaker’s suggestion and try it with Hawkes Bay venison.

Reviewed by Stephen Clark (8/3/2010)

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