Sacred Hill ‘HALO’ 2016 Chardonnay and Syrah, and 2015 Merlot Cabernet

FEATURED WINES IN THIS REVIEW

• Sacred Hill ‘HALO’ Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2016
  Chardonnay from New Zealand - Hawke's Bay

  Review Date : 03-Mar-2017

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Bright straw-yellow colour with slight lemon hues, lighter on the rim. The nose is fresh with softly full aromas of bright citrus and stonefruits along with piquant white floral and mineral notes, underlined by subtle creamy barrel-ferment and nutty, toasty oak. Medium-full bodied, the palate has elegantly presented flavours of citrus fruits and yellow stonefruits melded with creamy barrel-ferment and subtle lemon-curd and buttery MLF elements. The mouthfeel is rounded and smooth flowing, with a balancing, fine phenolic-threaded line. The palate is enlived by fresh, lacy acidity and carries with good drive and power to a lingering finish of stonefruit and nuts. This is an elegantly rich and creamy Chardonnay with citrus and stonefruit flavours complexed by nutty oak and notes of butter, with a fine, fresh line. Match with seafood, poultry and pork dishes over the next 4 years. Fruit from the ‘Riflemans Terraces’ fully barrel-fermented to 13.5% alc., the wine aged 11 months in 27% new French oak barriques undergoing batonnage and 33% MLF. 18.0-/20 Mar 2017 RRP $27.99
• Sacred Hill ‘HALO’ Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2016
  Syrah from New Zealand - Hawke's Bay

  Review Date : 03-Mar-2017

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Dark, deep, black-hued purple-red colour, lighter edged. The nose is softly full with ripe fruit aromas of dark raspberries and blackberries along with black plums and liquorice, revealing dark-red and violet florals, subtle black pepper and Oriental spice nuances. Medium-bodied, the palate features sweetly ripe and ripe flavours of dark raspberries, plums and blackberry fruit, entwined with spice and liquorice notes, dark florals and hints of black pepper. The fruit forms a concentrated core and is supported by fine-grained, supple tannin extraction with soft, background acidity. The wine carries to a sweet and plush. Lingering finish of raspberries and blackberries, detailed by plum and spice notes. This is a sweetly rich and plush, ripe-fruited Syrah with dark raspberry, plum and blackberry fruit on a supple, fine-textured palate. Match with lamb, beef and venison over the next 4-5+ years. Hand-picked fruit indigenous yeast fermented with 10% whole bunches to 13.0% alc., the wine aged 8 months in 15% new French oak. 18.0/20 Mar 2017 RRP $29.99
• Sacred Hill ‘HALO’ Hawke’s Bay Merlot/Cabernet 2015
  Blended Red from New Zealand - Hawke's Bay

  Review Date : 03-Mar-2017

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Full, even, black-red colour with purple hues. The nose is tightly bound and a little restrained, but builds to show a well concentrated core of very ripe black plum and black berried fruits along with nuances of boysenberries and port-like suggestions, with nutty oak and iron-earth elements. Medium-full bodied, this has a moderately concentrated heart with deep flavours of ripe blackberries, and black plums, entwined with nutty oak and complexing iron-earth detail. The fruit is underlined by firm, fine-grained tannin extraction providing structure and linearity, with fresh, balanced acidity lending tension and energy. The wine carries with vitality to a long, lingering fine-textured finish. This is a well-ripened Merlot/Cabernet blend with black berry and plum fruit flavours complexed by iron-earth mineral notes on a firm, finely extracted palate. Match with roast lamb or beef, and with semi-hard cheeses over the next 6 years. A blend of 78% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc from the Gimblett Gravels, fermented to 13.5% alc., the wine aged 16 months in 1 and 2 y.o. French oak barriques. 17.5+/20 Mar 2017 RRP $27.99