Ironclad named best new world red by Decanter’s Steven Spurrier

Man O’ War’s flagship wine, Ironclad 2008, has been named best new-world red by Steven Spurrier in the latest issue of Decanter magazine (January 2010).

It comes just weeks after three Man O’ War wines from the same vintage took 90-plus ratings in Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate.

“The 2008 vintage is being hailed as one of Waiheke’s best” says Duncan McTavish, Man O’ War’s winemaker. “It’s really gratifying that our flagship blend, Ironclad has been recognized by one of the world’s great wine authorities”.

Spurrier noted the Ironclad was an “arresting Bordeaux blend… Smoky from oak ageing with magnificent berry fruits and leathery undertones.”

It’s all the result of Man O’ War’s fastidious approach to winegrowing. Located on a stunning coastal site at the eastern end of Waiheke Island in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf, the vineyards are made up of 90 individual parcels selected specifically for their unique terroir.

It’s this approach that allows each and every vine to produce the best possible fruit – and the results show through in the recognition Man O’ War is achieving for its wine.

CHAMPAGNE TO BORDEAUX, RIDING THE WHITE HORSE – PART ONE

A great week in the life of your humble winemaker...

To coincide with the launch of Man O' War with Stokes Fine Wines in the UK we thought we might take a wee detour through France to visit some famous chateaux's in the Bordeaux region, but first I needed to freshen up...

Arriving in Champagne via Hong Kong I was picked up at the Champagne-Ardennes train station by an old friend, Francois Hure from Hure Freres, a fantastic producer of Champagne based in the 1er Cru village of Ludes. Francois and I had done a few 'tours of duty' together at Peg Bay and I was keen to catch up and taste some of his wines.

First stop was to Francois' home in Mailly to catch up with Marie-Eve his wife, who is also a mate of mine I met during harvest in NZ back in the day (Francois and Marie-Eve met in the hot tub at Peg Bay but that’s another story...) and their new addition Anshelme their rock n' roll baby boy!

Hure Freres NV Brut and 2003 Reserve was a welcome refresher, the NV showing that great balance of freshness, crispness and a touch of sweetness that makes Champagne so desirable. The 03 was rich and full and a great reflection of a landmark vintage in Europe. A dinner of Kiwi lamb on the BBQ with a magnum of Hure Freres Rose and the beginning of a 2 day flight of Northern Rhone Syrah's pretty much left me satisfied!

Next day was a visit to the cellar and a tasting of some base wines...

Man O' War has begun a special trial in 2009 where we felt we had an opportunity to have a crack at crafting a small volume of Methode Traditionnelle and I was keen for Francois to try my base wine and see what he thought. Thankfully he wasn’t too scathing, in fact he was very positive with excellent balance, great acidity and good definition in the wine, he found aromas of white flower and honey - my back label is already written!

Home for lunch and a bottle of the newest addition to the Hure Freres stable, the excellent NV Extra Brut, great on a 30 degree day in paradise!

Cheers
Dunc

Man O’ War to launch in Britain

Man O’ War will launch in the United Kingdom in September, teaming up with boutique wine distributor Stokes Fine Wines.

Stokes only represents winemakers who are passionate about making handcrafted wines, searching out those of the highest quality with bags of character; wines that speak of the place they are from and the people who make it. Man O’ War is family owned and all estate grown, found at the eastern end of Waiheke Island, New Zealand. The vineyards are a stunning spread of coastal hillsides — 150 acres of vines spread over 90 individual parcels selected specifically for their terroir and microclimate. It’s this attention to detail that produces such individual wines.

This obsession with quality and individuality means its wines find their way onto some of the best British wine shelves — including Harvey Nichols. Naturally, Man O’ War is thrilled to be able to provide knowledgeable British palates with the best Waiheke Island has to offer.

Stokes’ Sales and Marketing Manager, Justin Liddle, says: “I am delighted to be working with Man O’ War Vineyards in the UK, a really outstanding producer that shares our philosophy for having fun while achieving well-planned and executed success. Man O’ War is at the start of a very exciting adventure which I am so pleased to be part of and look forward to developing a long-standing partnership.”

Man O’ War’s winemaker Duncan McTavish will be attending the launch, at ‘Smiths’ of Smithfield on Tuesday 8th September 2009, with the owners of Man O’ War.