Hawkes Bay New Zealand
Kindred Spirits is collaboration between Australian winemaker Corey Ryan and the friends he made over many years making wine in New Zealand, specifically during the seven years as chief winemaker for Villa Maria. The Kindred Spirits Range consists of a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, Central Otago Riesling and Hawks Bay Syrah, but for us the Syrah is the standout wine.
Sourced from two vineyards grown on the Gimblett gravels, they are both low yielding (less than two tonnes per acre) and all handpicked. The fruit was destemmed, (not crushed) into small open fermenters. After a cold soak for five days, the fruit was allowed to begin fermentation naturally with a total of thirty days on skins before pressing to oak. Maturation was in tight grained French oak Barriques, sixty percent new for twenty months without racking. Bottled with minimal filtration and sulphur addition.
2011 was a cooler vintage, giving the winemakers a modest crop of well balanced and peppery fruit. The wine has now been in bottle for 2 years and it is so smooth and elegant you feel like you have been wrapped in a velvet blanket. A very perfumed aroma shines through with dark berries, a touch of forest undergrowth and quite prominent oak.
The palate is medium bodied and just so smooth and elegant. Pepper, spice and that oak again fills out the palate, giving the wine a very juicy, fleshy, fresh feel that is very moorish.
I really love this wine and this style of Shiraz/ Syrah.