Louis Latour Agencies

New Year, New Wines

18 January 2019

Two new wines made from Syrah have arrived in the UK. The first comes from Western Australia and McHenry Hohnen Hazel’s Vineyard with the second coming from Marlborough and Seresin Estate.

 

McHenry Hohnen Hazel’s Vineyard Syrah

The Hazel’s Vineyard is in the southern part of the Margaret River region. These Syrah vines grow on coarse lateritic soils with a northerly aspect.

After desirable conditions during flowering, the summer started cool and wet, slowing down the growing season significantly. Conditions improved in late February, developing into a perfect Indian summer. The reds got the benefit of a long, cool ripening periods; tannin ripeness and complex flavour developments. Alcohols are lower than previous years, even with greater physiological ripeness.

A hyper-perfumed nose, with lifted violets, lavender and mulberries entwined with a savoury note of olive tapenade. The palate is a crescendo of flavour; sweet fruit at the start, savoury at the back. Blueberries, mulberries and spiced plum evolving to clove and anise. A wine unlike any others in the region and a true reflection of the ‘syrah’ style.

 

Seresin Estate Syrah

Seresin Estate have introduced a new varietal into their family and released their first vintage of Syrah. This wine is the first red wine to be released that is outside the Pinot Noir range. In 2012 Seresin planted one hectare of Syrah in their Raupo Creek vineyard. Raupo Creek has clay soil and the block’s warmer aspect created the perfect conditions.

The fruit was hand-sorted, destemmed and cooled. After pre-fermentation steeping, the juice was warmed and fermented with wild yeast, and the caps hand-plunged twice daily during fermentation. The wine was left on skins for 5 weeks of post-ferment maceration, then drained, lightly pressed and transferred to French oak barriques for 10 months, all old oak, blended and transferred to puncheon for 8 months. The wine went through natural malolactic fermentation during 18 months maturation, before it was bottled unfiltered and unfined.

A cool climate Syrah showing lovely spice and red fruits characters. Tannins are ripe and the typical Seresin savoury character comes through.

 

Both wines will feature in our upcoming promotion on Rhone varieties and blends. Please contact your Account Manager in February for the offer.