Petane Wines - Syrah Hawke's Bay 2020 - Silt Survivor

The Drinking

Dark deep ruby-red colour with joyous youthful purple hues. The nose Is brooding dark fruits and cigar box with intense and penetrating tightly bound aromas of black current, black pepper, bay leaf and lifted violet florals with unfolding nuances of liquorice and dried herbs. The palate has firm but fine-grained tannins and vibrant acidity enhancing the fruit aromatics and delivering richness. Juicy, perfectly balanced, smooth and velvety, this Syrah is drinking beautifully now and will age gracefully for another 15-20 years.

The Growing

These grapes were lovingly grown and looked after by Californian native Pieter Koopman, he grows his Syrah on a north facing limestone hillside vineyard in the Hawke’s Bay sub region known as Paki Paki. Hot and dry growing conditions from late spring until autumn 2019 made for the best possible Syrah growing conditions. There was no weather pressure or compromised picking decisions having to be made in 2019, such was the extended Indian summer growing conditions.

The Making

Hand-picked and de-stemmed, the grape berries were cold soaked for 5 days to enhance colour, tannin and maximise flavour from the beautiful skins and seeds. The juice was fermented by indigenous vineyard yeasts in open top vats and hand plunged 1-2 times daily with one delestage early in the ferment to keep the cap wet and the yeast happy with some oxygen. The primary fermentation was complete after 12 days. Following this was an 11 day post ferment maceration after which the wine was pumped into French oak barrels (20% new) to mico-oxygenate, evolve and age, and in its own time, to have a second fermentation, this time of the malolactic kind. No fining was used on this vegan friendly wine, only a light filter and minimal sulphites added. After 12 months in barrels the wine was bottled, with 95 cases made.

About Petane Wines

Founder and winemaker of Petane Wines, Philip Barber, grew up in West Auckland on his parents Kumeu vineyard, learning how to grow the classics like Müller-Thurgau and Sylvaner from his dad. Philip travelled around the world working in wineries and vineyards, gaining inspiration from a vintage spent with Johannes Selbach from Selbach-Oster in Mosel Germany. He eventually returned home with big ideas and a commitment to growing sustainable, aromatic, dry farmed wines from his own land.

Since establishing Petane Wines in the sub region of Esk Valley, Hawke’s Bay in 2011, Philip and his wife Sarah have built on their sustainable philosophy with a plan to convert the eight hectare vineyard to organic, dry farmed vines, mentored by organic winemaker and grower, Hayden Penny.

The varieties grown include Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc, with further plantings planned for Pinot Blanc and Gamay. Petane Wines celebrate vintage variation and allow the natural site to express itself in the finished wine. Thoughtful and labour intensive viticulture goes into tending their vines, this ensures the handpicked fruit arrives at the winery in pristine condition, so that only minimal intervention is needed to make their wine.

First Vintage: 2011

Scale: 7 Hectares

Range: Syrah, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Viognier, Pinot Blanc, Gamay, Edelzwicker, Late Harvest Edelzwicker

Cellar Door: Yes, tastings by appointment at Zeelandt Brewery 

“At Petane Wines we produce boutique wines that are both premium in quality and unique from vintage to vintage”