16/10/2010 12:00:00 a.m.
The Hay Paddock NEWS
Press Release dated 16 October 2010
Waiheke Syrah wins top award
at the International Wine & Spirits Competition
The Hay Paddock, Waiheke Island’s specialist producer of Syrah, has won the Gold Medal and Best in Class awards at the prestigious International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) in London for its 2007 vintage of The Hay Paddock.
The Hay Paddock is the only New Zealand Syrah to achieve this status in the 2010 competition results announced this week and is a blend of 88% Syrah and 12% Petit Verdot, aged for 3 years prior to release. The Judges described the wine as being:
“Lively crimson red colour. Brooding nose, blood plums, vanilla, pepper, kirsch and black pudding with a hefty kick of spice. Taster beware, those aromas are just the tip of the iceberg of flavours and textures this wine produces. Petit Verdot dominates initially with blue berry and perfumed floral tastes then the spice of syrah kicks in and lends fantastic structure, fruit weight and a firm tannin skeleton. A really wonderful combination which seriously works.”
The result is seen by winemaker Chris Canning as an endorsement of his determination to produce a distinctive style for a Syrah-dominant wine that would be acknowledged by the international fine wine market as having depth, complexity and a long life.
“When Bryan Mogridge and I planted in 2003 we knew that Waiheke Island grew excellent Syrah,” he comments, “but we wished to move away from the overtly fruity style that is uniformly sought and instead create a wine with our own distinctive touch. This award suggests we are on that path. It is our top label and a flagship for the vineyard.”
The company’s second label, The Hay Paddock Harvest Man 2008, received a Silver Medal in the same competition, one of only 3 New Zealand Syrahs to achieve that distinction. Produced from 100% Syrah grapes grown at their Onetangi Valley vineyard, it drew the Judges’ comments:
“This wine is a really deep garnet, with a complex nose packed with spice, pepper and oak. It displays ripe fruit with a savoury edge, lifted with fresh acidity and elegant tannins. Very good use of wood has been made, to give a balanced wine.”
Both wines are now available throughout New Zealand and in selected international markets, or direct from the vineyard (enquiries@thehaypaddock.co.nz). The Hay Paddock 2007 RRP is $72 per bottle and The Hay Paddock Harvest Man 2008 RRP is $37 per bottle.
THE AWARDS
IWSC is the premier Competition of its kind on the international stage. Wines are subjected to a rigorous two stage judging process of blind tasting and detailed chemical and microbiological anaylsis. Entries must be available in commercial quantities to eliminate the possibility of ‘show’ products participating. All medal winners are subject to technical analysis before results are released and are assessed using the point system.
GOLD 90-100pts Outstanding example; setting the standard. The wine achieving the highest mark in the Gold range is awarded GOLD - BEST IN CLASS.
SILVER 80-89.9pts Fine example; excellent quality.
Released by:
The Hay Paddock Limited
Onetangi Valley, PO Box 267, Waiheke Island 1843, New Zealand
TEL: +64 (09) 372 9539
enquiries@thehaypaddock.co.nz
www.thehaypaddock.co.nz
Chris Canning, Winemaker
MOB: +64 (0) 274 968783
ccanning@xtra.co.nz