BRIDGE PA CELLAR DOORS

The Bridge Pa Triangle is one of Hawkes Bay’s premier wine subregions, nestled in the warm inland flats west of Hastings where once the great Ngaruroro river flowed. Charmian Smith explores the Triangle’s cellar doors and discovers the delicious reds and complex whites grown there.

Many of New Zealand’s prized wine growing districts are found on the deep gravels left behind when braided rivers change their courses.

The Ngaruroro river in Hawkes Bay has produced two such distinctive areas, the Gimblett Gravels and the Bridge Pa Triangle.

Millennia ago it flowed though a gap in the hills near what is now Bridge Pa, past Pakipaki, then out to sea near Havelock North, building up its bed with stones and gravel. About ten thousand years ago it moved north to what is now the Gimblett Gravels wine district, then in 1867 during another big flood it moved to Twyford.

Sileni Estate winery and cellar door Bridge Pa.

DISCOVER BRIDGE PA WINE REGION

“They built stop banks to keep it there. That’s the way these gravel rivers work, they build up then they switch course,” explains Barry Riwai, winemaker at Alpha Domus, one of the wineries in the Bridge Pa Triangle.

The Triangle’s 2000ha of prime vineyard land is bounded by Ngatatawa Rd on the northeast, Maraekakaho Rd on the south and State Highway 50 on the north, and adjoins the Gimblett Gravels on the northeast corner.

However the soils of the two regions are quite different. Whereas the Gravels’ young soils are stony, gravelly and sandy, Bridge Pa’s are older and more uniform, with 40-70 cm of topsoil above 20 or more metres of gravels. They are often referred to as red metal soils because the old greywacke shingle has a high iron content and has gone a rusty red-brown colour that fades to orange when exposed to light, Barry says.

Reds from the triangle tend to be rounder with softer tannins than those from the gravels, according to Barry.

“They have a softness to them, as opposed to the inky, tannic structure of the gravels. They are rounder, more plummy, more in the violet spectrum here, more floral.”

Jason Stent, winemaker at Paritua agrees: “I think the red metal gives us those softer more voluptuous tannins. Whites? Because it’s quite hot here they tend to be in the more tropical spectrum. Our chardonnays tend to be in the stone fruit, peach nectarine area as opposed to the grapefruit you typically get on the coast or at higher elevations.”

The flagship varieties in the Triangle are chardonnay, syrah and Bordeaux blends (merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc), but other varieties such as viognier, semillon, chenin blanc and sauvignon blanc add spice to the mix.

The area was pioneered in the 1980s by Alwyn Corban and Garry Glazebrook at Ngatarawa Estate but others soon followed. In 2011 the winegrowers formed the Bridge Pa Triangle Association to develop its identity. People thought it was part of the Gimblett Gravels, according to Paul Ham, managing director of Alpha Domus.

Signs now explain the area and an annual Bridge Pa Festival in February brings people from the towns and shuttle buses run between the wineries.

Vincent Labat of Paritua says they aim to raise the profile of the subregion, the wineries, cellar doors and hospitality, as well as the cycle trails and other offerings such as the golf course and aerodrome.

“We aim to keep the quality of the wines high, the credentials to really show off this subregion, the soils we have and the wines we make,” he said.

Not surprisingly, the Triangle is one of the most sought-after wine growing regions in the Bay. Many of the most prestigious producers have vineyards there as part of their wider portfolios - Te Mata, Villa Maria, Babich, Church Road, Elephant Hill - but a number of growers, such as Paritua, Alpha Domus, Redmetal, Oak Estate and Ash Ridge, specialise in the region. bridgepatriangle.nz

Bridge Pa Triangle Wine District Hawke’s Bay New Zealand

Ngaruroro River

Elephant Hill Triangle Vineyard 23ha

Constellation Airstrip Vineyard 25ha

Villa Maria Keltern Vineyard

Constellation Highway 50 Vineyard 108ha

Kim Crawford Te Tua Vineyard 112ha Links Winery 41ha

Maraekakaho Road

Winery owned or leased vineyard Grower owned vineyard

Overview

The Bridge Pa Triangle Wine District comprises the largest concentration of vineyards in Hawke’s Bay. It is the special nature of the soils and climate here that provide depth and flavour to the wines. The most important grape varieties being Merlot, Syrah, Cabernets and Chardonnay. The district is roughly delineated by three roads: Ngatarawa Road, State Highway 50 and Maraekakaho Road forming the triangle.

Latitude: 39.4 S Land Area: 2,000ha with approx 1,250ha in grapes Soils: Alluvial - sandy loam over gravels Annual Rainfall: 750mm Mean January Temperature: 19.5 degrees C Sunshine Hours: 2280 Growing Degree Days: 1480 Soils and Climate

Formed over thousands of years by the changing course of the Ngaruroro River these are the oldest soils on the Heretaunga plains. Moderate depth sandy loam covers deep beds of gravel known locally as “red metals’ due to red colouration from the iron content. This excellent growing environment allows the vines to thrive without irrigation until early summer and the grapes to ripen evenly into early Autumn while excess moisture is drained away in wet weather.

Hawke’s Bay’s northerly location and mountains to the west give it one of the warmest and driest climates in New Zealand. With growing season warmth of around 1480 degree days along with moderate rainfall and free draining soils, the Bridge Pa Triangle plays a big part in the emerging story of Hawke’s Bay as a great temperate-climate wine region of the world.

Oak Estate Cellar Door New Zealand

Hawke’s Bay

Pacific Ocean

State Highway 50 Babich St Johns Vineyard 10ha Mathills 5ha

Milmine 8ha

TK Vineyards 11ha Oak Estate 6ha Bostock Wines 10ha

Church Road Redstone Vineyard 145ha

Te Mata Bullnose Vineyard 16ha Ash Ridge Cellar Door

Sileni Hikumutu Vineyard 17ha Ash Ridge Winery 13ha

Vicki’s Vineyard 19ha

Leveret Estate Tantallon Vineyard 118ha Te Mata Isosceles Vineyard 17ha

Harding Double or Quits 16ha Taylor Wai-iti 8ha

Paritua Vineyards & Winery 68ha Sileni Hautapu 48ha

Howell Strathnaver Vineyard 17ha

Sileni Lyons 12ha Redmetal Vineyard 8ha

Sileni Talbot Vineyard 14ha Alcock Almoritia 8ha

Howell/ Prospect Vineyard 15ha Sowersby 10ha Ngatarawa Road

Bostock Wines Cellar Door

Alpha Domus 20ha

Vanston/ Smith Waikahu 5ha Bostock Wines 12ha

Howell

Mulcaster 12ha Brittains Terra Rossa Vineyard 9ha

Alpha Domus Cellar Door

Sileni Drycreek Vineyard 29ha

Barendsen Vineyard 25ha Abbey Cellars 13ha Daysh 13ha

Prins 6ha

Douylliez Ailleurs 10ha Meridiem Trust 16ha

Lesley’s Vineyard 8ha

Leveret Campbell Brook Vineyard 40ha Abbey Cellars Cellar Door Bridge Pa Triangle

Mangaroa Marae

Sileni Estate Cellar Door

Three Little Pigs Vineyard 3ha Lyons Hillside Vineyard 2ha Bridge Pa Township

NORTH

Napier

Hawke’s Bay

Hastings

Korongatā Marae

Topsoil 40-70cm

Deep gravels 20+ metres Varieties Planted

White Varieties 43% - 465ha total

Red Varieties 57% - 610ha total

Chardonnay 200ha

126ha

Sauvignon Blanc Pinot Gris 102ha Viognier 19ha

18ha

*Minor White Varieties Merlot 337ha Syrah 151ha Cabernet Sauvignon 56ha

30ha

Cabernet Franc

20ha

Malbec Pinot Noir 10ha

6ha

**Minor Red Varieties *Mainly Sémillon. Includes Albariño, Fiano, Arneis, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Gris, Chenin Blanc.

**Mainly Tempranillo. Includes Marzemino, Montepulciano.

BRIDGE PA TRIANGLE WINE TRAIL

The wine trail includes half a dozen cellar doors within a compact area ranging from small and rustic to large and corporate, most offering food as well as wine tastings. The bike trail is a bonus, although the loop is still to be completed from Sileni to Paritua then through the vineyards to Ash Ridge.

A bonus of tasting wine at a winery is not only to learn about it and compare several wines, but also to find interesting ones that are not widely available or only available from the cellar door.

ALPHA DOMUS

Founded by the Ham family in the early 1990s, this is now the oldest family-owned winery in the Triangle. The cellar door is rustic - a plank resting on barrels in the winery and a pleasant outdoor sitting area. Wine is the focus here and you are welcome to bring your own food.

The wines are delicious, often with a couple of years bottle age as, being a family winery, there is no rush to release the wine.

“There’s no hiss and roar to get them out and in fact they taste better with time. There’s no marketing department breathing down our neck - Paul tries to but we don’t listen,” winemaker Barry Riwai says with a laugh

There are three tiers: the very drinkable Collection; the mid-tier Reserve; and, only made in select years, the Special Reserves, their names inspired by the vineyard’s proximity to the Bridge Pa aerodrome.

Don’t miss the unusual Aviatrix 2020 semillion, fresh, textural and dry with hints of apple and citrus, only available from the cellar door, or the delicious Wingwalker viognier 2016, silky and textural with overtones of quince.

Even if you think you don’t like chardonnay you’ll be persuaded to try one here.

“It’s like a red rag,” says Barry. “I tell them they just haven’t tried a good one and [when they do] often they say, ‘oh that’s a lovely chardonnay, I’ve never liked it before’. I say ‘well, just spend a bit more because you get better chardonnay the more you spend’.”

Compare the soft, creamy, lively, citrusy Skybolt reserve chardonnay 2017, with the aristocratic Batten 2017, a barrel selection with more, but not overt, new oak, stylish, textural and long on the aftertaste.

Syrah produces soft, almost floral wine in the Triangle so don’t miss the silky, charming Barnstormer 2018, or the gorgeous Ace 2018, textural, restrained and beautifully balanced with supple, powdery tannins. The Ace is made from a single plot of young vines. "We thought it would be interesting for people to follow these same vines through their life, like a first edition rather than being a vineyard blend. You don’t often get the chance to see wine from young vines then see them again as they’re a year older,” Barry says. Certainly it’s a wine for collectors.

Alpha Domus produces several Bordeaux blends, the soft, ripe merlot-dominant Navigator 2016 and the aristocratic, dense, blackcurranty, cabernetdominant 2016 Aviator.

For a special treat, taste the luscious noble selection semillon, a rich, textural dessert wine oozing fresh citrus, poached quince, spice and crème brûlée. alphadomus.co.nz

Wine is the focus at Alpha Domus: winemaker Barry Riwai at the rustic cellar door - simply a plank resting on barrels in the winery.

Alpha Domus’s no-frills tasting area in the winery in the Bridge Pa Triangle.

Paritua’s striking winery.

PARITUA

Paritua’s striking roof seems to float above the winery, beckoning as you approach through the vineyard. It is named after the Paritua stream that meanders through the large vineyard.

Like many other producers, Paritua is moving towards organic viticulture and its wines are vegan friendly with no animal-based fining agents such as egg whites, gelatine or isinglass.

Their main lines are the Stone Paddock range and Paritua from lower-yielding vines, while the flagship cabernet blend 21:12 (the vineyard address) packaged in a heavy bottle has a cult following in US.

If you’re pining after sauvignon blanc in this chardonnay country, the fresh, fragrant, tropical Stone Paddock 2020 will satisfy.

Don’t miss comparing the two chardonnays: the peachy, creamy unoaked Stone Paddock 2018 and the deliciously youthful, bright, creamy, peachand-nectarine, 2019 Paritua chardonnay.

Also compare the Syrahs, the 2019 Stone Paddock, oozing peppery boysenberries, with the 2018 Paritua, perfumed, spicy, voluptuous with blueberries and a slightly smoky, savoury finish.

It’s interesting to taste Paritua’s several Bordeaux styles in a progression from the simple, red-berried Stone Paddock 2018 merlot and the plusher, firmer 2018 Scarlet (merlot, cabinet franc, cabernet sauvignon, malbec) to the more complex wines.

Scarlet’s bigger brother, Paritua 2018 red (merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc), oozes spicy cigar box, lots of pretty red fruits and supple tannins.

In 2018 they also bottled a Platinum Series cabernet sauvignon, dense, fragrant, spicy, generous with underlying minerality and firm, dusty tannins. This was certainly my favourite. With so much structure and oak, it would be interesting to revisit it in five or 10 years. Only available from the cellar door or online.

Paritua 21:12 is Paritua's flagship. The current release, 2015, is a cabernet merlot blend with a little cabernet franc. Concentrated, with lush ripe fruit, blackcurrants, hints of cocoa and violets, it is intense, with firmer tannins than the others but still plush and approachable. Each time you come back to it, it intrigues with something else to discover, as a complex wine should. paritua.com

Vince Labat (left) and winemaker Jason Stent of Paritua.

SILENI

There’s a sense of expectation when you drive up to Sileni’s architecturally striking winery with mature trees and attractive places to sit and enjoy platters and wine, or even take a winery tour.

Established by Sir Graeme Avery in the 1990s it is now the largest member of the Booster Wine Group, five producers owned by New Zealand investment company Tahi.

Sileni’s origins and heart are in the Bridge Pa Triangle but it has since expanded to other areas of Hawkes Bay and Marlborough.

In the early days Sir Graeme was involved in the Hawkes Bay food producers group and the local farmers market, so not surprisingly the wines have always been food friendly.

The Bridge Pa Triangle, one of Hawkes Bay’s premium wine-growing areas, extends into the distance. Paritua winery is centre left and the Paritua Stream runs along the foreground.

Chief winemaker Nigel Davies and his team produce a wellpriced Cellar Selection, a Reserve tier, and, at the pinnacle the Grand Reserve wines with grey labels and special names.

Pinot gris lovers will want to try the Priestess 2018 named after the Ruahine ranges (Ruahine means priestess in Maori) with its mouth-filling creamy nuttiness, texture and crisp finish.

One of my favourites was the Lodge chardonnay 2015 oozing both stone fruit and citrus, but rich and textural with nutty complexity - drinking deliciously at six years old.

I was blown away by the charm and fresh red fruits of the Pacemaker cabernet franc 2018, with just a hint of smokiness and a lively fresh finish. There are a few cabernet francs being made in Hawkes Bay now and I just love their freshness - sort of cabernet sauvignon meets pinot meets rosé - delicious.

Another style we’re seeing more of in this region is reds made from slightly desiccated grapes. Sometimes these are picked and left in the sun to dry or the cane above the bunch of ripe grapes is cut but left on the vine for a couple of weeks. When the grapes desiccate the flavours concentrate, producing a big, raisiny wine with depth of flavour, and Sileni’s Cut Cane merlot 2018 is no exception. With its soft ripe fruit, almost port-like intensity but not sweetness, it is a delicious dry red to enjoy with dark chocolate or aged cheese. Only available through the cellar door or online.

OAK ESTATE

Oak Estate’s red barn beside a large oak tree on Ngatarawa Rd is not to be missed. Not only does it serve the best food in the Triangle according to locals - and I have to agree - it also has some delicious wine. This is not surprising as it’s owned by a chef, Swiss-born Stefan Lötscher who used to run Pure restaurant in Herne Bay Auckland, and his partner Nadine. They are a passionate couple, full of ideas and plans.

They took over the 6ha vineyard, house and barn about five years ago, started tweaking the vineyard plantings and installed a commercial kitchen.

Here Stefan makes his own bread, pâtés, chutneys, terrines and condiments for the platters and for sale, and offers a few main dishes as well.

It’s a small, charming place with a couple of tables inside and several spilling over the deck and into the vineyard behind the barn.

Chardonnay is their main variety but he and Nadine have planted chenin blanc, tempranillo and syrah. They also buy grapes from nearby vineyards and wines are made by neighbouring winemakers.

A glass of the satisfyingly nutty methode traditionelle blanc de blancs is a great way to start lunch here, but don’t miss tasting the other wines. Chardonnay is their specialty, the nutty, creamy Home Bock 2018 (their first vintage) and the stylish, more layered 1000 Vines Reserve 2018, from a patch of particularly deep gravel behind their house. For something different there’s a late harvest chardonnay 2018, rich, sweet and silky, oozing ripe peacharines.

Their first chenin blanc is 2020, fragrant with hints of cox’s orange apples, silky and mouth filling with a dry finish.

Oak Estate syrah 2018 is very drinkable with lovely juicy fruit and supple tannins, but my favourite was the 2019 malbec, fragrant with dark fruits supported by background oak and firm but supple tannins. They only made six barrels and I can see this is likely to become much sought after.

Stefan Lötscher serves the best food in the Triangle and delicious wine from the vineyard surrounding the red barn at Oak Estate. ABBEY CELLARS

On summer weekends Abbey Winery and Brewery is buzzing with people enjoying the sessions - live music, lots of pizzas and platters, wine and beer.

Founded in 2002 by former builder and dairy farmers, Jan and Warren Haworth, it was inspired by a trip to Europe.

Inspired by Bordeaux wine and European cathedrals, Warren Haworth built Abbey Cellars where you will find big, muscular wines, live music and pizzas at weekends.

“We liked the wines in Bordeaux. We saw the red wine there and thought we’d like to do something similar here. We were also impressed by the European abbeys and cathedrals,” said Warren who is now pushing 80.

He built a large winery and tasting room with pointed gables and gothic arch windows, hence the name. Their son Dermot and daughter Natarsha are now involved.

Amelia Rewi (wife of Barry from Alpha Domus next door) makes the wines. They are big, concentrated, muscular wines with lots of oak - the big mouthfilling styles Warren likes.

However, he did admit his favourite white was the riesling, fragrant, floral and limey with a fresh finish that balances the light sweetness.

There are two chardonnays, the wild-fermented is big, toasty, oaky, nutty and buttery, but with a clean finish - sure to delight those who appreciate such a style. The barrel fermented is a tad more restrained but still with plenty of flavour.

The big, juicy reds range from a spicy, concentrated petit verdot, a concentrated but very drinkable eight-year-old merlot showing no sign of age but oozing raspberry coulis and spicy oak, and a powerful cabernet merlot, intense with dark chocolate, black currant, spicy oak and a powerful finish.

ASH RIDGE

Bursting with enthusiasm, Lauren Swift was named Young Winemaker of the Year in 2015, having joined Ash Ridge a couple of years earlier. Now she’s making her mark as one of the up and coming winemakers to watch.

Ash Ridge is home to some of the most interesting and individual wines in the Bridge Pa Triangle.

Chris and Phil Wilcock, who run On yer bike cycle tours round the Hawkes Bay wineries, planted the vineyard in 2005 and now Lauren owns shares in it too.

Like many young winemakers, Lauren loves experimenting and is moving towards using fewer additives and organic viticulture to encourage vineyard expression and more energy and longevity in the wine.

She also makes her own brand, Swift, a natural wine, such as a barrel-fermented whole bunch syrah and an unfiltered, unfined chardonnay.

Ash Ridge has three tiers of wine, Estate, Premium and Reserve, and Alti a sideline of small experimental batches - a creative outlet for Lauren.

Their flagships are syrah and chardonnay but there are also a flavourful skin-fermented viognier, a textural pinot gris, and newly planted chenin blanc along the drive. She feels chenin is more suited to the Hawkes Bay climate than sauvignon blanc but has that same fresh character.

Ariel methode traditionelle 2018, is delicious, fragrant, nutty and fresh, and there’s a dry, textural rosé with overtones of strawberry and melon.

However, my favourites were the 2018 reserve chardonnay with hints of struck match, citrus and peaches, with charming undertones of oak and nuts and a lovely crisp, expressive finish; and the 2020 Alti gamay noir with oodles of juicy berry fruit and light, dusty tannins. Lovely with a platter in the vineyard.

The premium 2018 syrah is dark fruited, lively, fresh and textural with hints of new leather. The more complex reserve 2016 is beautifully harmonious with hints of black pepper and ripe fruit. It was inspired by her visit to Côte Rotie, one of the prestigious syrah appellations in France, she said.

Rather than make Bordeaux blends, Lauren prefers the individuality and purity of the single varieties. For her the sum is not greater than the parts.

Her 2018 cabernet sauvignon oozes sweet ripe blackcurrants and is intense and youthful with a firm tannic structure.

The premium 2018 malbec is lively with hints of pipe tobacco, dark fruits and a fresh finish - perhaps inspired by Argentina malbec and ideal with a barbecue, she says. ashridgewines.com

Lauren Swift and Phil Wilcock of Ash Ridge.