Reds show way for Bay at awards

Clearview Estate Winery's Helma van den Berg and Tim Turvey won two Pure Golds. Photo / File

Hawke's Bay wines picked up four of the major trophies and 11 Pure Gold medals at the recent Romeo Bragato Wine Awards held in Napier, dominating the merlot and cabernet sauvignon categories.

There were smiles all round for Villa Maria which won five trophies in total - two of them for a wine from the Gimblett Gravels.

The awards, which are part of the annual New Zealand Winegrowers Romeo Bragato National conference, are presented to the growers of the grapes for viticultural excellence.

The competition recognises that growing excellent grapes is the foundation for making wines of true quality.

Villa Maria's Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke's Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2013, made from grapes grown on the Vidal vineyard by Phil Holden, won the Richard Smart Trophy for Champion Domaine Wine.

It also bagged the Tom McDonald Memorial Trophy for Champion Classical Red Wine.

The chairman of judges, Ben Glover, described it as a beautifully crafted wine.

"Well done to all on allowing the fruit to shine with deft and subtle winemaking," he said.

From its Auckland vineyards at Ihumatao, Villa Maria's Single Vineyard Ihumatao Chardonnay 2013 produced by Brett Donaldson won the Bragato Trophy for Champion Single Vineyard Wine and the Bill Irwin Trophy for Champion Chardonnay.

Villa Maria also took the trophy for Champion Sweet Wine, with all the trophy winners also picking up Pure Gold medals.

Villa Maria also took a gold for its Single Vineyard Keltern Chardonnay 2014.

There were also plenty of smiles from the Church Road Winery crew, and congratulations for their growers, Neil Watson and Max Bixley, after taking a trophy and three Pure Gold wins.

The Church Road Pinot Gris 2015 was awarded the Brother Cyprian Trophy for Champion Pinot Gris.

They also picked up gold awards for the Pinot Gris 2015, Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2013 and the McDonald Series Syrah 2013.

The Alan Limmer Trophy for Champion Syrah went to Talisman Syrah 2013, grown at the Elms Vineyard in Hawke's Bay under viticulturist Peter Yealands.

Clearview Estate Winery's Tim Turvey and Helma van den Berg also had reason to celebrate picking up two Pure Golds - for the Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2014 and Enigma 2013.

Squawking Magpie's Gavin Yortt also tasted gold with The Nest 2013, while the Ham family of Alpha Domus picked up gold for their AD The Aviator 2013.

In the Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Sauvignon Predominant class of 10 total winners, it was a clean sweep for wines produced from Hawke's Bay grapes, with three Pure Golds, three Pure Silvers and four Pure Bronze awards.

In the Merlot and Merlot Predominant class it was two Pure Golds, two Pure Silvers and eight Pure Bronzes.