All Wine  >  Tantalus Estate Reserve

Voilé

Syrah
Waiheke Island, New Zealand

Vintages:

2014

Price: $90 per bottle

Winemaking

Fermented in stainless steel open-top fermenters, with indigenous and selected yeasts. Extended maceration for extraction. Punched down up to 4 times per day. Gentle basket pressing and transferred into mostly new French oak for 12 months months maturation. 4 rackings during élevage. No fining.

Food pairing:

Beef Wellington, Duck breast in pepper sauce, Roasted quail with barley stuffing, Beef Bourguignon, Civet of Hare

Vintage report

Warm and dry conditions in early spring gave a healthy fruit-set. Late December rains replenished much needed moisture and were followed by a period of sunny dry weather. The 2014 growing season delivered 19% below average rainfall, allowing selective harvests at optimum ripeness and delivering wines with complexity and depth of flavour.

Technical analysis:

Alcohol: 14%
Residual Sugar: <1g/l
pH: 3.65
TA: 6.19g/l
Download technical sheet

Awards:

Raymond Chan: 5 Stars - 18.5/20
Sam Kim: 5 Stars - 94 Points
Michael Cooper: 4.5 Stars

2015

Price: $90 per bottle

Winemaking

Fermented in stainless steel open-top fermenters, punched down up to 4 times per day. Gentle basket pressing and transferred into French oak for 12 months months maturation. 4 rackings during élevage. No fining.

Food pairing:

Vintage report

A wet winter gave way to a calm, dry spring resulting in great fruit-set. The year started cool, but by December were well above average. January was one of the hottest and driest on record with 25 days above 30C. February was cooler, but remained warm and dry delivering. Overall conditions were ideal for the production of small and highly concentrated berries capable of producing powerful and full bodied red-wines.

Technical analysis:

Region: Waiheke Island
Grapes: Syrah (98%) Viognier (2%)
Harvest dates: 11th April to 23rd April 2015
Harvest: 100% hand harvest
Brix: 23.5-24.8
Production: 35hl/ha. Single vineyard
Alcohol: 14%
Residual Sugar: <1g/l
pH: 3.5
TA: 6.4g/l
Download technical sheet

Awards:

Robert Parkers Wine Advocate: 89 points
Cameron Douglas MS: 95 points
London IWC: Bronze Medal
Michael Cooper 2018: 4.5 star
Decanter Asia wine awards: Silver 93 points
Raymond Chan: 5 stars (18.5+/20)
Bob Campbell: 93 points

2016

Price: $95 per bottle

Winemaking

Fermented in stainless steel open-top fermenters, with indigenous and selected yeasts. Extended maceration for extraction. Punched down up to 4 times per day. Air pulses. Gentle basket pressing and transferred into mostly new French oak for 12 months months maturation. 4 rackings during élevage. No fining.

Food pairing:

Beef Wellington, Duck breast in pepper sauce, Roasted quail with barley stuffing, Beef Bourguignon, Civet of Hare

Vintage report

A dry winter made pruning enjoyable and as such we were finished in record time. Late August brought with it a wet spell which replenished ground moisture prior to the season. Budburst was nearly 2 weeks ahead of normal.

A settled spring brought with it a good fruit set, the odd Southwesterly kept the crop loads in check. Dry warm weather through to mid January set us up with some very healthy fruit. The season did a bit of an about face in February and turned wetter and cooler than we are used to.

The majority of the work had already been done as we guided the crop to harvest by strategically hanging out individual parcels to gain optimum ripeness. The resultant wines are rich and plush with great presence and length.

Technical analysis:

Region: Waiheke Island
Grapes: Syrah, Viognier
Harvest: 100% hand harvest
Brix: 22.5-24
Production: 35hl/ha. Single vineyard
Alcohol: 14%
Residual Sugar: <1g/l
pH: 3.55
TA: 6.9g/l
Download technical sheet

Awards:

Bob Campbell: 95 Points
Raymond Chan: 94 Points
Cameron Douglas: 94 Points
Sam Kim: 94 Points

2017

Price: $95 per bottle

Winemaking

Fermented in stainless steel open-top fermenters, with indigenous and selected yeasts. Punched down and air pulses up to 4 times per day followed by an extended maceration. Gently basket pressed and transferred into mostly new French oak for 12 months maturation. 3 rackings during élevage. No fining.

Food pairing:

Bucatini all’Amatriciana, vegetable tajine, seared balsamic duck breast, aged cheddar and asiago cheeses.

Vintage report

An early spring with warmer than average temperatures brought us a very even bud burst and good fruit set. A series of northerly storms brought above average rainfall and high humidity, creating plenty of challenges in the vineyards, however the overall heat summation was well above our yearly average providing ripe and concentrated fruit.

Technical analysis:

Region: Waiheke Island
Grapes: Syrah, Viognier
Alcohol: 13.5
pH: 3.57
TA: 6.8
Download technical sheet

2018

Price: $95 per bottle

Winemaking

The berries were gently split to increase the surface of the skins in contact with the juice. Two percent of the stalks were left for structure and spiciness. Syrah and Viognier were co-fermented in small stainless vessels and concrete eggs, with indigenous and selected yeasts and bacteria, to carefully control temperature and bouquet development. The wine was then macerated until an equilibrium was achieved and then gently pressed. The élevage was brilliant in special French oak barrels for eighteen months. The finished wine was bottled under premium cork without fining to preserve all that purity, freshness, and silky mouthfeel.

Food pairing:

Veal Osso Buco, slow-cooked Chinese five-spice spare ribs, smoked duck breast with green peppercorn glaze, char-grilled eggplant with herbs and garlic, aged Gouda with blueberry compote.

Vintage report

A warm settled spring provided the backdrop for a very hot and dry summer, setting us up for another promising vintage. Twenty-four days over 30 degrees celsius during the growing season, and a maximum average temperature of 28.6 through December and January gave us the heat summation to advance ripening nicely. Veraison was very compressed, and passed through in around two weeks instead of the usual four. February brought rain, but due to the constant and meticulous work of our vineyard team the fruit was in great shape. Continuous rounds of canopy detailing kept the fruit hanging freely and quick drying. All of this work paid off as March brought drier conditions and harvest approached. Selectively picking when the fruit reached optimum condition and many small batch ferments allowed individual attention and precision in the winery. The resultant wines, like the vintage, are filled with tension and poise. Supple and long, they will age well and deliver an ever-evolving experience over many years.

Technical analysis:

Region: Waiheke Island
Alcohol: 13.5%
Residual Sugar: <1g/l
pH: 3.61
TA: 6.9g/l
Download technical sheet