Kiwi Wine Fan Club - 2008 Champion Wine of the Year
2007 Passage Rock Reserve Syrah

Passage Rock Reserve Syrah is one of those ‘discovery’ wineries for us. Craig and Mel can remember almost accidentally dropping in to the winery as we headed out to Stony Batter gun emplacements for a short hike with the family on a calm sunny day. It was a surprise to see them open on a Public holiday as its then that surprisingly the island seems to half shut down. We slammed on the brakes and took the detour down the driveway to the winery which is situated at the remote South Eastern corner of the island. It is a pretty place with a relaxed restaurant and idyllic view. For a reasonable fee we were able to taste four or five wines of our choosing. It was the 2005 Passage Rock Reserve Syrah though that we longed to try after being tipped off by a gushing review written by Sue Courtney.

The bold and powerful 2005 Passage Rock Reserve Syrah was a revelation. It was unbelievably good; rich, textured and structured. Later that year it was right there when we debated our 2006 Wine of the Year. The result saw it just dipping out against the sublime 2005 Fromm la Strada Spatlese Riesling. In our hard fought champion red wine blind tasting the following year, it crucified the much vaunted 2004 Vidals Reserve Syrah (which we awarded Syrah of the Year in 2007) much to everyone’s surprise.

The 2006 Passage Rock Reserve Syrah was a different beast. It is more relaxed, more savoury, floral and fragrant. It still shows masses of interest and the complexity is endless. Perhaps it is more attractive for drinking earlier than the 2005. It seems to get better every time we taste it.

The 2007 Passage Rock Reserve Syrah basically all of us tried at Wine NZ. We tried it next to the outstanding and high flying flagship Syrah from the Villa Maria stable, and the 2006 vintage of the Passage Rock Reserve. The 2007 Passage Rock Reserve Syrah certainly does not have quite the richness of these wines, nor in fact its predecessors. It is more subtle, less showy and obvious. Stylistically it sets a bold direction. It very much rests on its poise, its detail, definition and texture. The palate is red fruited and highly fragrant with lashings of white pepper sitting on top of a creamy cascading and stylish texture.

Although we hardly consider price when assembling our finalists we have to make one comment here. In the context of Waiheke Island and New Zealand flagship Syrah it is refreshing to see a winery avoid the temptation to brand as a cult winery. They charge a reasonable price for this wine. For most of us $50 is a special occasion drink. Passage Rock Reserve Syrah delivers solid value for money and certainly shows up the pretension offered by some other Waiheke Island producers. We hope as a result Passage Rock solidifies a loyal and returning customer base that will support them through thick and thin.

We also should make another comment that shouldn’t take anything away from this wine, in fact it should put things in context. This year choosing a winner has been more difficult than ever. Wines such as our runner up wine 2007 Gibbston Valley Le Fou Riesling, also 2007 Neudorf Moutere Chardonnay, 2006 Craggy Range Sophia and 2006 Esk Valley Reserve Syrah were just so, so close to being chosen. In the end, this year we think it is apt to recognise the steady progress and ascent of Syrah as a variety in New Zealand. We stumbled across so many brilliant examples this year.

So Congratulations Passage Rock 2008 Kiwi Wine Fan Club Wine of the Year is awarded to 2007 Passage Rock Reserve Syrah

Previous Winners

2000 = 1998 Te Mata "Awatea" Cabernet Merlot (Hawkes Bay)
2001 = 1999 Stonyridge "Larose" Cabernet Merlot (Waiheke Island)
2002 = 2000 Te Mata "Coleraine" Cabernet Merlot (Hawkes Bay)
2003 = 2001 Neudorf "Moutere" Chardonnay (Nelson)
2004 = 2002 Unison "Selection" (Hawkes Bay)
2005 = 2004 Kumeu River "Mates Vineyard" Chardonnay (Auckland)
2006 = 2005 Fromm La Strada "Spatlese" Riesling (Marlborough)
2007 = 2005 Puriri Hills "Pope" Merlot Carmenere (Clevedon)
2008 = 2007 Passage Rock Reserve Syrah (Waiheke Island)

Obviously the 2007 vintage of Passage Rock Reserve Syrah will hit fine wine retail shops at some stage. At the time of writing, I couldn’t find stockists except for Regency Duty Free Auckland Airport and Passage Rock Cellar Door/ Mail Order. It can’t be too far away from seeing higher distribution. Expect to pay around $50 a bottle. As a final note, 2008 I bet will be a ripper too. It is an exciting Auckland vintage to look forward to.