The Wines

Our Labels

The Hay Paddock Label

 

Production of our flagship wine is limited each year to a hand picked selection of rows and vines from throughout the vineyard. The wine is available to members of The Hay Paddock Syrah Society and to selected top restaurants and fine wine dealers and collectors in both 750ml and Magnums (1500ml). The best performng vines from a selection of clones throughout the vineyard are chosen for seperate batch fermentation. Low yield, optimum colour and tannin expression are the initial selecton criteria. After six months in new French oak, blending trials are undertaken with a small proportion of Petit Verdot. After fining with egg whites the wine is returned to new oak for a further period of six to eight months before being cold stabilised and bottled under cork. The bottled wine is then cellared for a further two years prior to release.
This wine is produced for friends, collectors and enthusiasts who appreciate the value of cellaring and who join the proprietors in their exploration of a defining wine style for New Zealand Syrah in the manner of Hermitage.

2006
This was the inaugural vintage from young 3-yr old vines which were permitted to produce a light crop averaging 500gms per vine. Harvesting began on March 20 providing a fruit analysis of:
                          Sugar   24 Brix,  pH   3.27,  Titratable Acid 8.1  
The ferment peaked at 33.5°C and the total time on skins was 10 days. Free run was combined with basket pressings and aged for 12 months in 75% new French oak, being a mix of medium and medium+ toast from Radoux and Boutes. Silver Medal - Best in Class at the London International Wine and Spirit Competition 2008. Decanter World Wine Awards 2008 Silver Medal

2007
A heavy rainstorm on 28 March, 2 days prior to the scheduled picking of the Chave block, caused 50% of that fruit to be rejected and the cuvee relied on the best fruit from the light cropping 174 clone which provided an analysis on 4 April of:
                          Sugar   23 Brix,  pH   3.30,  TA   7.3
A 6-day cold maceration preceded ferment which peaked at 31°C. Petit Verdot was harvested at 25.2 Brix on 10 April and fermented separately, contributing 12% to the final blend. The wine was fined with egg whites and bottled under cork on 17 October 2008 for release in 2010. International Wine Challenge, London 2009, Silver Medal

2008
The best possible growing conditions saw fruit being harvested on the last day in March in immaculate condition. After a period of cold maceration the must was returned to 18° and the ferment peaked at 30°C. Small parcels from 4 different blocks were selected providing an analysis of
                          Sugar   24.4 Brix,  pH   3.33,  TA   8.2
All components were matured in 100% new French fine-grained oak of medium toast with final blending taking place in June 2009 and bottling in September 2009. The wine will be released in 2011.

NOTE: It is not the intention of the winemaker to make a comparative rating of vintages. The winemaking each year will be a reflection of the fruit from that season and the ferment, blending and maturing will respond accordingly. If the fruit is not good enough, despite all efforts, no wine will be made under this label.

 

 

The Harvest Man Label

 

The Hay Paddock Harvest Man Syrah is the single-vineyard, hand-made wine which we believe demonstrates the best of New Zealand’s - and Waiheke Island’s - abillity to produce a red wine style that expresses optimum ripeness and varietal character. It is a wine designed to complement food and, apart from private trade clients, is currently available through leading restaurants and fine wine specialists throughout New Zealand and overseas. Annual production is presently limited to 2000 cases.
The same intensity of hand labour is applied to the vines which provide the cuvee for Harvest Man as for the limited edition of The Hay Paddock. The difference lies in Harvest Man’s greater emphasis on fruit character relative to later maturing tannins, and the opportunity provided for earlier drinking. Harvest Man also enjoys 12 months in oak, but is released after one year in bottle under screwcap.



2007
After pre-harvest rains, the yield from 8,000 vines was restricted to less than 1kg per vine following 5 days of critical bunch selection and rejection. Clean fruit came in over a 3-day period giving a combined analysis on 4 April of:
                          Sugar   22.3 Brix,  pH   3.27,  TA   7.8
An 8-day cold maceration was followed by an 8-day ferment. Juice was free run to tank to complete malolactic fermentation with the (bag press) pressings separately reserved. Twelve months in predominantly 1- and 2-yr old French oak was followed by cold stabilisation and sterile filtering before bottling under screw cap in October 2008 for release in June 2009. International Wine Challenge, London 2009, GOLD Medal
Selected as Wine of the Year by the Best of the Best 2009 Wine Guide

 
2008
This was a year when every Syrah clone enjoyed the best of growing conditions. The Chave Selection in particular – which is the earliest ripener – could not be faulted (which made it all the more difficult to drop 50% of the fruit in January in order to diminish the yields). The Grippat A and B Selections also produced exceptional fruit which could have more than doubled the production if permitted. The average analysis of the three cuvees comprising the 2008 Harvest Man was:
                          Sugar   24.2 Brix,  pH   3.37,  TA   6.82
All components were combined in tank for completion of malolactic fermentation and then transferred to new American oak (25%) and 1- to 3-yr old French oak to mature for 12 months before bottling under screw cap in July 2009. Released in March 2010.


2009

This vintage will remain in wood until September 2010.


NOTE: This wine is designed to complement food and to be ready for consumption on release from the winery. However, it is a characteristic of Syrah that it will continue to improve with bottle age and the tannin, acid and alcohol levels are calculated to permit that process. Phenolic ripeness will provide variability between vintages..