Church Road chief winemaker Chris Scott wins award for fourth time

Church Road chief winemaker Chris Scott is the first person to win Winemaker of the Year for the fourth time at the annual Winestate Wine of the Year Awards. Photo / Supplied

A huge congratulations to Church Road chief winemaker Chris Scott who has won Winemaker of the Year for the fourth time at the annual Winestate Wine of the Year Awards announced last week.

That's not all though — Church Road Grand Reserve Chardonnay 2019 picked up both Wine of the Year and Chardonnay of the Year, with the Church Road Grand Reserve Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 winning Merlot of the Year.

Winning winemaker of the Year four times (2013, 2016, 2020, 2021) has never been achieved before.

Linda Hall asked Chris some questions about his win, his wine and his plans for Christmas.

How did you feel when you heard you name called as Winemaker of the Year for the fourth time?
I couldn't believe it to be honest. But, as a team we work hard so it's great to get this sort of recognition. It's very much reflective of the efforts of the whole crew. Graham Bartleet, Claire Pinker and our vineyard team are really good at what they do, and without that outstanding fruit quality, we can't make the wines we do. In the winery it's a team effort, with four or five of us always involved in all the tastings and blending decisions and a really great team in the cellar who have incredibly high standards. Everyone stays curious and everyone is very quality focused so we keep learning and getting better.

Tell us what is so special about the Church Road Grand Reserve Chardonnay 2019 and Church Road Grand Reserve Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2019.
Our Grand Reserve wines are grown and made to extremely high quality standards on some of the best viticultural soils in Hawke's Bay so they're always pretty special wines. In 2019 Mother Nature really did her bit as well with terrific weather over the all-important harvest period. The 2019 Grand Reserve Syrah also just took out the top Syrah/Shiraz at the Global Fine Wine Challenge so as a set, they're really helping to show that Hawke's Bay is a pretty special place for winegrowing, with wines that stand up amongst the world's best.

Is there a certain stage during winemaking when you just know that what you are producing is going to be very special?
In a great year you can see it and taste it in the fruit just before harvest, but sometimes in lesser years the great wines sneak up on you. In those years you can get some subtle, incredibly well poised wines that take time to reveal themselves but ultimately can be more complete and more interesting than in the more showy vintages. 2018 was a bit like that, I probably underestimated the wines early on, but by the end of the barrel maturation period we knew we had some real gems and with a bit of age now they just keep getting better and better.

Why did you choose the wine industry to work in?
Because I didn't like accounting. I got bitten by the wine bug while I was doing an accounting degree. Winemaking sounded a lot more interesting. I was right!

What has been you biggest challenge in 2021?
Only positive challenges. Demand for our high end wines has grown strongly and we're doing a lot of really exciting work to help support this. Vineyard redevelopment, new winery technology, and always looking at ways to make every vintage a little bit better

How is the 2022 vintage looking at this stage?
Really good. It'd be nice if it dried out a bit now, but it has been very warm which is great for us, especially for our reds.

What are your plans for Christmas day?
Just a small family gathering at home. Lot of delicious food (menu currently under construction) and of course some really good wine. The vege garden is laden at the moment so the theme will be fresh and vibrant.

What wine would you recommend for Christmas day?
It depends on what you're eating, when and how hot it is, and of course, personal preference. Hard to go past some good bubbles in our house, it's celebratory, it leans towards fresh flavours and alfresco dining and it is such a versatile food wine. This is where I add the shameless plug: Church Road Blanc de Blancs 2017 is delicious and only available at our cellar door. Head down and see the team.