The Caskaway

Akarua, The Siren, Bannockburn, New Zealand 2019. One of the joys of wine ( and beer ) drinking is the social element. Tasting lots of wines for my WSET courses was made more enjoyable by tasting with lots of equally passionate like-minded people. When we drink at home or in the restaurant or pub its almost always with friends that makes the experience all the more enjoyable. When served with wonderful food the experience is a real highlight.

Last Thursday I was very lucky to be invited to a private tasting by Edmond de Rothschild Heritage and Waddesdon Wines of some of their New Zealand portfolio. Now if you read my tasting notes you will know that I love New World wines and have really been getting back into Pinot Noir so this evening was a real treat. It was made all the better by meeting some really interesting people in the very convivial La Bastille Restaurant in Jersey. A big thank you to La Bastille for the excellent hospitality and to Andrew, Martin and Alex at Valley Foods for the invite.

Baron Edmond de Rothschild wines are all about the expression of terroir from all around the world and the Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir were really great examples showing all the characteristics of New Zealand wines and the winemaker’s skills. We were guided through the tasting by Anne Escalle, the French born director of both the Rimapere and Akarua estates. We started trying two delicious Rimapere Sauvignons which I will review in another post, then the Akarua Pinot and finally The Siren.

Akarua, The Siren, Bannockburn, New Zealand 2019

You first notice the ruby, purple hue this a deeply coloured wine. The handpicked grapes are selected from parcels of land along the Cairnmuir Road in Bannockburn, one of New Zealand’s premier wine growing regions. They are batch fermented on their skins and first aged for eighteen months in a mix of French oak barrels before a further year maturing in the bottle.

There are wonderful aromas of sweet, ripe black fruits on the nose with a hint of spice and leather from the oak and the vaguest hint of woodland mushrooms from the tertiary aging. On the palate The Siren is deliciously full-bodied, with concentrated flavours of blackcurrant and blackberry with hints of vanilla, aniseed, and a touch of spice. A well-balanced acidity is followed by a very long, smooth finish with silky tannins. This is an extremely complex wine that will cellar well. Serve The Siren with roast lamb or duck or some grilled mushrooms or just luxuriate in the wine and drink with friends. If you cannot already tell I really enjoyed this incredible Pinot Noir.

Grape variety                                 Pinot Noir

Country of origin                           New Zealand

Region                                             Bannockburn, Central Otago

Vintage                                            2019

Alcohol                                            13.0%

Notes

The average age of the vines is twenty-four years grown on weakly structured light alluvial soils overlaying schist rock.