The difficult second album and perhaps the difficult second vintage. The 2010 Salo Hawkes Bay Syrah was a stunning wine. If it was Television’s ‘Marquee Moon’ then perhaps the 2011 version is ‘Adventure’ – an under-rated but still impressive effort, if not quite as sterling as the debut.
“The 2011 season looked like it was going to rival 1998 as a stinker with Dec – Feb temperatures well-above average. However in Mid Feb the weather changed to a cooler pattern closer to seasonal averages with patches of rain through March and April creating a wetter than usual autumn. The free drainage from the high proportion of gravel in the soils made sure this wasn’t an issue”
You can smell the pepper as you pour it into the glass. It’s an attractive bouquet with dark brambly characters underneath and red berry highlights. Ferns, moss and forest floor too. Lighter than the previous incarnation and of a rather savoury disposition. A wiry frame of brisk acidity and firm-ish tannin. Doesn’t quite have the extension of the 2010 but it’s a an enticing wine all the same. Distinctly cool climate Syrah. Needed four days to tell its story. Added a little cooking chocolate (of all things) at the very end of the tasting. 91+ Good -Very Good
Region: Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Alcohol: 13.0%
Closure: Screwcap
Price: $45
Tasted: April 2013