New HALO reds show Hawke’s Bay’s class

31 October 2013

New HALO reds show Hawke’s Bay’s class.

Hawke’s Bay’s classic red wine characteristics shine through in two Sacred Hill HALO premium red wines from the 2012 vintage, released this week.

Named after the distinctive halo in Sacred Hill’s logo, the HALO range has earned a reputation for handcrafted, richly textured wines and the Sacred Hill HALO Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2012 and HALO Syrah 2012 continue that tradition.

Chief winemaker Tony Bish says the wines are made from small parcel selections of fruit from Sacred Hill’s best vineyards.

“They are made with only the most outstanding fruit from the 2012 vintage,” he says.

“These wines genuinely reflect the land from which they come. They combine New Zealand’s trademark fruit forward style with a light touch of old world technique to create wines of real texture and depth.”

Bish says the HALO Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2012 upholds Hawke’s Bay’s long tradition of producing classy and elegant Bordeaux style reds, while the Gimblett Gravels grown HALO Syrah 2012 is a worthy follow up to its 2011 predecessor, which was rated one of the country’s top five Syrahs in Cuisine’s New Zealand Syrah tasting earlier this year.

Both of these wines have a recommended retail price of $27.99 and are available at good wine retailers around the country.

Tasting Notes

Sacred Hill HALO Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2012

A blend of 70% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Cabernet Franc, this wine displays luscious aromas of blackberry, dried herbs, chocolate and smoky tar, with sweet dark fruits to the fore. A pleasant weight with firm but fine-grained leathery tannins and rich dark fruits on the back palate. A very good food-friendly wine with depth and character.

Sacred Hill HALO Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2012

From Sacred Hill’s estate owned Gimblett Gravels vineyard, this wine has rich aromas of boysenberry and blackberry with a nuance of black and white pepper. The French oak contributes appealing baking spices on the palate. This is a rich yet delicate wine with soft, velvety tannins and a pleasant point of acidity adding to the wine’s length.

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