NEW 06 WINE TASTING NOTES

Well, it is the very end of 2007 and almost time for Sandra and I to go back to the NZ summer. The photo of our pond at Hawks Nest is to show how lovely summers are in Matakana. We go back on Jan. 17th for two months this cycle and I am really ready to get back to summer and growing plants. We don't mind a taste of winter but we are ready to flee the Nashville harsh January weather. I guess we are just like the Fla "snowbirds" except our commute is a bit longer.
Since our new 06 ORCHARD BLOCK RED is being released this week here in Nashville, I wanted to post tasting notes for the wine by our crew down in NZ. Lipman's have imported 120 cases of our new 06 wine and I know it will be well received in Tennessee. It tastes younger but still very similar to our really smooth 05 wine that is now sold out.(except a few bottles in a few retail stores) You might find it still at The Wine Shoppe, West Meade Liquors, or at Midtown in Nashville this week for your New Years libations.

You will note that our new Orchard Block Red is sealed with a screw cap. That may surprise some of you but in NZ and Australia almost all wine makers are going to screw caps. I have talked about that before in this blog so I won't go over the advantages of screw caps again except that to note that it protects the wine better and makes it easier to open and store. You also never will get a corked bottle of wine to spoil your enjoyment of the tasting experience. Now the term "crack open a new bottle" will be accurate since you do have to crack the seal of the screw cap.

I just printed up this flyer below to put in retail outlets here in Tennessee next week and to email out to known wine lovers. The tasting notes below are from our winemaker and vineyard manager- John and Jeremy- and describe the new wine well I think. Do try some soon!!!

More next year!!

Dr JIM

NEW WINE RELEASE!!!!!

Hawks Nest Vineyard

Matakana, New Zealand

RELEASED IN NASHVILLE- JANUARY 2008

2006 Matakana Cab Franc/Malbec/Merlot

“ORCHARD BLOCK RED”

This, our 2006 premium estate wine is a Bordeaux style blend of Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Merlot (59, 22, and 19%). The wine was bottled in May 2007 after aging 12 months in 33% new French oak barrels. Dark crimson red, ruby-hued, almost (but not quite) opaque, the nose is scented with the appealing fragrance we expect from these varieties- think violets and spice and hints of pencil box cedar. Finely textured with creamy cedar, spice, hints of mint, dusty blackberries and meaty tannins, the earthy depth of Malbec grapes takes the final bow and leaves a scent of cedar and violets in its wake. Absolutely delicious with Sumac rubbed rack of lamb. The traditional method of fining the wine using egg white (from free range eggs) was used and traces may remain. It has very good cellaring potential and should only improve with age for up to a decade.

We keep a blog site going about our vineyard on the Web at: www.hawksnestvineyard.blogspot.com

So, check out what is going on down at our vineyard in NZ and be sure to email us at jdgyn@aol.com if you ever have plans to visit New Zealand and want to drop by Hawks Nest to visit with us!! (PLAN TO BRING WORK CLOTHES)

Sandra and Dr. Jim Daniell, Hawks Nest Vineyard owners.