WINES

PINOT GRIS, ROSÉ , PHAROS and CABERNET MERLOT FRANC

BRICK BAY PINOT GRIS 2009

inot Gris has graduated from being ‘flavour of the month’ to become a serious addition to this country’s love affair with the classic French grape varieties. One of the three classic Alsace ‘aromatics’ , along with Riesling and Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris can in fact display  relatively shy aromas, although pear, quince, stone-fruit and some citrus are usually evident on the nose and the palate. Characteristic of the variety is the oily texture, with the best examples exhibiting good fruit weight and a long finish. This textural ‘weight’ can be achieved by fruit concentration, alcohol and residual sugar, but we believe fruit concentration, achieved by low cropping is the key, without relying on high  alcohol and sugar levels.  High alcohol often masks the lack of fruit intensity, and gives the wine flabby acidity and a ‘hot’ finish. While high levels of residual sugar will also produce the effect of ‘weight’, they may be difficult to match with any food other than dessert.

Bob Campbell has noted in Cuisine Wine Country, ‘Brick Bay (has) earned rapid acclaim with a concentrated and very stylish Pinot Gris that has earned many accolades since the first release from the 1998 vintage.”

In the Vineyard
One must always be wary of generalizations about vintages; not only do they differ dramatically from region to region, but also among individual vineyards within a region, and indeed between varieties within a single vineyard.

Following a good, even fruitset towards the end of 2008, we enjoyed the long, dry months through to early February with no significant rain. The weather broke with a veritable deluge and high humidity on February 10th, followed by the hottest day recorded in 137 years, with temperatures peaking at 34 in Auckland city!

The following two weekends delivered further downpours, and we were grateful for the months of meticulous preparatory work carried out in the vineyard, with fruit thinning and leaf-plucking opening up the vine canopy to allow for good air circulation and drying. The Pinot Gris was picked a little earlier than usual but we were more than happy with the fruit development, phenolics and flavour profiles, with the resulting superb wine justifying our harvest decisions!

In the Winery
Two parcels of hand-picked fruit from our estate were processed separately. After destemming and crushing to press, the must was given skin contact for several hours, to allow release of aromatics and textural components before pressing. One parcel was cool fermented to dryness, while the second parcel was stop-fermented to retain some natural fruit sugars. After combining the two, the wine was then left to rest on light lees until bottling.

Harvest date: 3-4 March 2009
Bottling date: 1st May 2009
Composition: 100% single vineyard Pinot Gris
Alcohol: 12%
TA: 5.9g/L
pH: 3.19
Quantity produced: 457 dozen

Tasting notes: Bright pale straw with a rose gold edge. This medium dry wine is characterised by subtle spice and orange blossom aromas, good textural palate weight and a crisp, clean finish. Layered flavours of peach, pear and apricot, mandarin and summer berries.

Aging potential: In stable cellaring conditions, the Pinot Gris 2009 will continue to evolve over the next 3-4 years. With time the more immediate fruit freshness will be replaced by dried fruit, and oily characters.

BRICK BAY ROSÉ 2009

his is the third vintage of a Rosé from Brick Bay, adding a fourth wine to our select stable of exclusively estate-grown Brick Bay wines.

In the Vineyard
Following a good, even fruitset towards the end of 2008, we relished the long, dry months through to early February with no significant rain. The weather broke with a veritable deluge and high humidity on February 10th, followed by the hottest day recorded in 137 years, with temperatures peaking at 34 in Auckland city! The following two weekends delivered further downpours, and we were grateful for the months of meticulous preparatory work carried out in the vineyard, with fruit thinning and leaf-plucking opening up the vine canopy to allow for good air circulation and drying. The hot dry weather resumed for rest of March and well into April, allowing us to harvest all our red fruit in excellent condition.

In the Winery
Two parcels of Brick Bay fruit were used in the making of our 2009 Rosé: Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, making for a complex and interesting wine. The Cabernet Sauvignon provided a firm framework and depth with the Cabernet Franc bringing excellent perfumed fruit characters. Stop-fermentation achieved an exceptional fruit/acid/sugar balance in the wine.

Picking date: 18 - 22 April 2009
Bottling date: 9 September 2009
Composition: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc
Alcohol: 11.2%
TA: 7.8g/L
pH: 3.15
Quantity produced: 105 dozen

Tasting notes: A bright, extraordinarily beautiful rose pink colour with flashes of tangerine, violet and garnet. Distinctive aromas of strawberry and cherry. A creamy entrance to the palate introduces a complex array of layered berry fruits, the sweet/tart aspects of cranberry, with apricot and nectarine notes. A crisp, firm finish is balanced by a sliver of sweetness.

AGING POTENTIAL: As with most rosés, this wine is designed to drink over the summer following harvest. Enjoy chilled with a wide variety of summer food flavours, or simply as a refreshing aperitif.

Pharos or Cabernet/Merlot/Franc?
ome vintages are exceptional ones and we release a red wine called ‘Pharos’ from these great years. The 2000 Pharos was the first of such releases. A weighty wine of great depth and complexity, it was received with enthusiasm by wine writers both here and in the USA.

In other years, largely due to the vagaries of the weather, our red wine will be released as Brick Bay Cabernets, reflecting the dominance of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in the blend, although as the Merlot vines continue to improve their cropping performance, our red wine will be released as Brick Bay Cabernet Merlot Franc.

There is a price differential between Pharos and Cabernet Merlot Franc, but both wines receive the same meticulous attention to quality in the vineyard and in the winery that has become synonymous with Brick Bay wines.

Why Pharos? [fair-ross]

The name of our premium red wine, Pharos, links the magnificent tower at Brick Bay with one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Built on the island of Pharos off the coast of Alexandria in Egypt, the first recorded lighthouse was constructed by Ptolemy in the 5th Century B.C., and was the only one of the ancient wonders to have a practical use as well as architectural significance. The lighthouse was revered by architects as the tallest building in the world, and by scientists who marvelled at its mysterious reflecting mirror which could be seen for more than 50 kilometres offshore. The Pharos lighthouse was the longest surviving of the seven wonders, and gave its name to lighthouses in many languages . . . and to our Brick Bay red wine, which we believe stands in a similar lofty place! We also like the coincidence of a sound association between ‘Pharos’ and the Maori word for red . . . ‘whero’.

BRICK BAY PHAROS 2005

In the Vineyard
Following a mild winter and early budburst, the vines were well into flowering by mid-November. A warm dry spring was overtaken by some scrappy weather prior to Christmas before the hot dry conditions settled back in. Towards the end of January the north was hit by a tropical cyclone but fortunately the vineyard is largely protected from the north-east weather patterns. By mid- February the weather had stabilized once again and 2005 followed the pattern of 2004 in producing another great vintage.

In the Winery
Each of the varieties was separately crushed to small, open fermenters, before a selected yeast instigated the fermentation process, with the cap being regularly hand-plunged. After an extended period of post-ferment maceration to add structure and balance, the wine was racked, gently pressed, settled, then aged in a mixture of new and seasoned French oak barriques. Different types of oak were used to optimize the potential of each grape variety. Following 12 months of aging in oak, selected barriques were then blended together, gently fined with egg white to round off the tannins, then bottle-aged for a further 24 months before release.

Harvest date: 4th April 2005 – 2nd May 2005
Bottling date: 24th February 2006
Composition: 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc, 17% Malbec ,
11% Merlot
Alcohol: 13.5%
TA: 5.3g/L
pH: 3.6
Quantity produced: 447 dozen

TASTING NOTES
In appearance, a deep rich burgundy colour with mahogany edges.
A complex and elegant wine, showing lifted stonefruit and blueberry notes, with hints of dried herbs, cedar, liquorice and vanillin accents. A beautifully balanced wine, with fine velvety tannins and a lingering finish.

Aging potential: Totally approachable now, but in stable cellaring conditions, should continue to evolve and develop further complexity over the next 5-8 years.

Michael Cooper in his Guide to New Zealand Wines believes the 2005 Pharos is the best yet. He comments:” Deeply coloured, it’s a delicious red- the best Pharos yet – with excellent body and depth of fresh blackcurrant, plum, herb and spice flavours, finely textured, savoury and supple.

BRICK BAY CABERNET MERLOT FRANC 2005

rick Bay wines are truly ‘terroir’ driven wines; each vintage is an expression of our individual vineyard, the soils, the clonal selections and viticultural practices, and the influences of our particular microclimate.

In the Vineyard
Following a mild winter and early budburst, the vines were well into flowering by mid-November. A warm dry spring was overtaken by some scrappy weather prior to Christmas before the hot dry conditions settled back in. Towards the end of January the north was hit by a tropical cyclone but fortunately the vineyard is largely protected from the north-east weather patterns. By mid- February the weather had stabilized once again and 2005 proved to be another great vintage.

In the Winery
Each of the 4 varieties was destemmed and crushed separately into small open-top fermenters. A selected yeast instigated fermentation, with the rising ‘cap’ of skins initially hand-plunged four times daily. As alcoholic fermentation proceeded, the plunging regime was decreased to avoid over-extraction. After a period of post-fermentation maceration to add structure and balance, the wine was racked, the skins gently pressed, settled, then aged in a mixture of new and seasoned French oak barriques. Different coopers and forest origins were utilized to optimize the potential of each grape varietal. Following 10 months aging in oak, selected barriques were blended together. The wine was then bottled without fining, then bottle-aged for a further 19 months before release.

Harvest date: 4th April- 4th May 2005
Bottling date: 22 February  2006
Composition: 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec
Alcohol: 13%
TA: 5.3
pH: 3.7
Quantity produced: 506 dozen

TASTING NOTES
A bright cherry appearance, with aromas of plum, blackcurrant and boysenberry blended with the richness of mocha. The palate is well-textured, reminiscent of its origins – the dry heat of the clay/loam soils. Dark cherry, kirsch and chocolate spread across the palate, with a lingering elegant finish of dried herbs.