Winemaker scoops second big award

Church Road Winery’s Chris Scott says he doesn’t have an “X factor” – but he does have a ‘team factor’ to explain why he has just won one of the most prestigious wine awards for the second time in two years.

He's now won the Winestate New Zealand Winemaker of the Year Award twice – in 2013 and the top gong for 2016.  But he is delightfully modest: "It's hard to isolate what I do from the efforts of the team." he says, when asked about his "X factor" and immediately deflecting praise and passing the credit to his team.

“There are so many elements to creating wine and everyone involved is so great at their job.”

The award-winning winemaker finds it hard to accept the credit for his genius but there’s no doubt he’s something special.

Church Road also picked up the Trophy for best Syrah/Shiraz and best New Zealand Wine of the Year in the Winestate awards with the Church Road McDonald Series Syrah 2014; to top it off, Kiwi wine guru Michael Cooper named Church Road Hawke's Bay Syrah 2014 the best buy of the year in his 2017 Buyer's Guide.

Scott (grudgingly) admits to having exceptional attention to detail. He looks at all the fruit and bases his assessments on conditions over the growth period, rather than relying on computers to work out optimum quality.

He spends a lot of time in the vineyards assessing what is happening with the grapes and says: “The team are great because they allow for flexibility in harvesting so we can maximise the quality of the grapes”.

He’s not afraid to take risks. Church Road Syrah sits at a price point many thought unachievable while retaining excellent quality. New Zealand syrah tends to occupy the luxury/connoisseur end of the market with Australian shiraz supposedly the affordable option.

But he’s proved that perception wrong.

“Redstone vineyard in the Bridge Pa Triangle has been producing a good yield for us of high quality,” he says. “We have been able to take cool climate syrah out of the realm of wine nerds and make it more accessible, helping to grow awareness of this fantastic wine style.”

Hawkes Bay is the warmest wine-growing region in New Zealand. It is large, with a range of different soil types and temperatures; it’s possible to grow a wide range of grapes within its confines.

Gimblett Gravels and Bridge Pa Triangle, for example, are warmer areas with light, gravelly soils, perfect for creating beautiful reds. Chardonnay is another Church Road star, with Tukituki Valley vineyard perfect for this grape.

While chardonnay is Church Road’s best seller (“it was unfashionable for a while but we can’t keep up with the demand at the moment”), Scott feels the syrah trend is yet to be fully realised in New Zealand.

“It’s a classic grape varietal and Hawke’s Bay syrah has an expression that is particularly good and recognisable,” he says.

Australian reds have traditionally been bigger sellers due to price but Scott says the styles are in contrast to New Zealand syrah.

“I think, as more consumers discover the cool climate style, the category will grow rapidly – and we are already starting to see that. This is why producing quality wines at price points such as Church Road’s classic syrah is so important.”

He says Hawke’s Bay syrah is not the “blockbuster” type as typified by Australian shiraz; it’s more elegant and aromatic with berry and spice notes, infused with black pepper.

“I think it’s also a lot more aromatic than many northern hemisphere syrahs,” says Scott. “Hawke’s Bay syrah is really punching above its weight and I believe will continue to do so.”

Another testament to Church Road Winery’s Syrah is its win at the 2015 Japan Wine Challenge with their Grand Reserve Syrah.

“The Church Road Grand Reserve Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2013 was awarded the trophy for Best New World Red Wine,” Scott says. “Considering that only one per cent of New Zealand’s grape planting is currently syrah, the potential of this wine is huge.”

Scott says the team at Church Road Winery have not had time to celebrate the Winestate win yet – but are likely to have a barbecue to acknowledge another successful year.

"But I did have a glass or two of Church Road Syrah," he admits, "with my wife in Queenstown after the Winestate awards were announced."