2022 Halcyon Days Helical Rise Cult Wine

All the grapes in this blend come from the Osawa vineyard, a BioGro certified organic site in Mangatahi, inland Hawke’s Bay. This wine reminds us of the beautiful rose-tinted clouds at dusk and dawn, the last light of the day diffuse in the vineyard rows and the cool streaks of sunlight heralding the new day; the warmth of the soil still radiating from the day and the damp dew underfoot in the morning.

Heliacal rise is named for the rise of the stars in the east, prefiguring the sun. It is our orange/rosé expression of this site with the pink underside of clouds and all damson plums and dried roses. The Pinot Noir was handpicked in one day from the 115 clone block in the vineyard’s mid-terrace. The grapes were whole-bunch pressed to produce rosé juice and fermented with indigenous yeasts.

The Chardonnay portion was also handpicked, this time across three days. These picks, from our three favourite Chardonnay blocks across the site, were destemmed into open fermenters and fermented with no added yeast. The Chardonnay is treated a little like a red wine with a gentle hand plunge when we feel it’s needed. It was then pressed and combined after two weeks on skins.

Blend: 33% Chardonnay (Clone 15) fermented on skins and 66% Pinot Noir (115 clone) whole-bunch pressed and fermented as rosé. The two were blended in the winter to complete natural malolactic fermentation prior to bottling with no additions.

On the eye: Pinker than the 2021 release, there are still hints of orange amid the pink rose-petal and salmon hues.

On the nose: Perfumed with notes of plums, redcurrants, and manuka blossom.

On the palate: Fresh and engaging with a silky texture and light-footed tannins and a juicy, persistent finish.