Mary Shanahan
Sacred Hill claimed top honours at the region's fourth annual wine awards with a wine style that has emerged as a classic achiever for Hawke's Bay.
The champion-of-champions wine at last night's Hawke's Bay A & P Mercedes-Benz Wine Awards was Sacred Hill Helmsman Cabernet Merlot 2002.
Winemaker Tony Bish said gold medal and trophy wine had made it a brilliant year for the winery, but it was particularly sweet winning an award in Hawke's Bay.
"These are our people, and this is great," he said, brandishing the trophy, a specially commissioned artwork created by Havelock North designer-artist David Trubridge.
Mr Bish was awarded the champion of champion winemaker trophy, and the panel of international and national judges also named the Sacred Hill wine the show's top Bordeaux blend.
Sacred Hill has grown quickly since it was established by the Mason family in 1986. More recent developments have included a partnership with Gunn Estate and the purchase of the Marlborough wine producer Cairnbrae.
The company takes its name from the English translation of Puketapu, the district near the family's property "Dartmoor".
At the awards functions to share in the kudos were owner David Mason, the company's leading cellar hand Simon Daley and red winemaker for Sacred Hill, Jason Stent.
The contribution made by Doug Wisor to Hawke's Bay, both as a friend and as a talented young winemaker, was celebrated at the awards.
Killed in a tragic accident at the weekend, the Craggy Range winemaker had been among the resident judges assessing wines entered in the competition.
Chairman of judges Steve Smith said the syrah trophy, awarded to Trinity Hill Homage Syrah 2002, had been renamed the Doug Wisor Memorial Trophy in the young man's honour.
The 31-year-old was a fantastic person, said Mr Smith, destined for great things professionally. Among his achievements, at the age of 28 he had made Craggy Range winery's 100 percent syrah Le Sol.
Trinity Hill winemakers John Hancock and Warren Gibson dedicated their winery's awards to the memory of Mr Wisor, who they said was a friend as well as a respected colleague in the industry.
Trinity Hill won the reserve champion wine trophy for the syrah, best in class for the winery's High Country Pinot Noir 2003 and gold for its Gimblett Road Merlot 2002. Another Hawke's Bay wine company, Squawking Magpie won the museum class for its 1999 chardonnay.
Created last year, the category is for cellared wines which do not necessarily have to be available in commercial volumes. The winner is not eligible for the champion of champion award.
First-time entrants Church Road Winery took out the sweet wines category with Montana Virtu Noble Semillon 2000. Villa Maria took two trophies home - Villa Maria Reserve Merlot 2002 was top merlot, while Villa Maria Single Vineyard Keltern Chardonnay 2002 was top chardonnay.
Led by Geoff Wilson, the panel of judges chose Sue Cranswick of Esk Valley Estate as the cellar door personality of the year. Her prize is an all-expenses paid weekend trip to The Hermitage at Mt Cook.
Wine students also had their share of the limelight, with Eastern Institute of Technology syndicate Dan Barker and Tracy Taylor claiming the trophy for best student wine with their 2003 botrytised chardonnay.
Gordon Forshaw won the A & P Society Young Vintner of the Year scholarship, awarded to a third-year student at EIT. Worth $3500, the scholarship is sponsored by the Hawke's Bay A & P Society and Craggy Range, which offers the winner paid vintage work.
The awards attracted nearly 300 entries this year, topping last year's previous record entry of 292 wines.
Mr Smith attributed the increase to the awards gaining momentum and acknowledgement within the wine industry.
"What sets this wine competition apart from others is that it is regionally-based - all wines entering the show, apart from the student wines, must use at least 85 percent Hawke's Bay fruit. But this obviously doesn't restrict it to wineries based within Hawke's Bay."
Each wine was blind tasted and assessed 20 times before the panel awarded a gold, so that having judges who might evaluate their own wine in no way compromised the result.
Trophy winners were sensational in any context, Mr Smith said, and many were 2002 wines - a season that did not provide ideal vintage conditions. The success of the wines from that year showed Hawke's Bay knew how to look after its new grapes.
Sacred Hill steal show at wine awards
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