For someone who is so highly awarded and recognised in their field, Chris Scott has always been a winemaker who shuns the spotlight – letting his craft shine through the wines he has produced. Make no mistake though – winner of the Winestate Winemaker of the Year gong five times, and with recent accolades from across the globe and at home – this is an artisan at the top of his game.
So, when I found out that he was going to release his own wines, with his name on the label – I joined the line to find out what was going on. As the website (www.chrisscottwines.com) explains: “Based on Mataruahou, with Hawke’s Bay’s vineyards behind and the sea in front, Chris Scott Wines is a partnership between Chris and Laura Scott. Winemaking is, as you’d expect, Chris’ focus with Laura coming on board for blending sessions which are undertaken together. Laura, with a background in education and hospitality, manages the day to day running of the business and is likely to be the one you’ll find at the other end of an email or phone call”.
Throughout his time making wines at Church Road in Hawke’s Bay, Chris was permitted to have ‘a focus on quality above all else’. The winemaking at Chris Scott Wines will be guided by two simple principles: a similar unwavering focus on absolute quality, and a commitment to working with nature, not against it. Chris’ outlook is: “We aim for natural balance through sensitive winegrowing, winemaking and blending, aiming to gently tease out the best expression of the inherent personality of the wine in any given season, rather than attempting to force it to fit into a mould. It is, ultimately, the art of knowing when to do nothing”.
Today I’m opening the first wines – three Chardonnays. The Florilegium is their flagship wine – the Grande Cuvée. Rather than take a leaf out of Burgundy’s book, and look for single vineyard expressions, their approach is more aligned with great Champagne – celebrating the blender’s art. Here, each vineyard parcel, each clone and ferment has the opportunity to contribute its share to “something that is greater than the sum of the parts” as Chris puts it. Production is 833 bottles.
Taking its name from a whimsical literary inspiration: poet Lewis Carroll’s ode to a wise old oyster, who winked his eye, shook his head, and chose to remain in his bed. The name The Briny Wink hints at a maritime influence of offshore breezes, fossil shells, and ancient sea beds that are now the soils of the vineyards that this fruit grows in. Production is 1097 bottles.
The Stone Giants nods a reference to Hawke’s Bay’s western ranges and the volcanic peaks of the Central Plateau, which are an integral part of the character of the inland vineyards of Hawke’s Bay. Providing shelter from the prevailing westerly weather, and over millennia being the source of deep gravel beds, windblown loess and volcanic ash that are now the soils of the vineyards. Production is 1050 bottles.
The closure for the bottles is Diam Origine 30 49mm (wax sealed for reduced oxygen ingress). A technical cork made from cork particles that have been purged of impurities and bound with natural plant polymers and bees wax. TCA free and will perform consistently in every bottle for at least 30 years. In Chris’ trials to date they have out performed both natural cork and screw cap.
My thoughts on the wines…
The Stone Giants 2024 Chardonnay
A pale lemon-gold colour in the glass. A hint of ozone and white smoke in the tightly-bound aromas, before lemon, pear, white peach, tarragon, chestnut, orange peel and sweet baking spice notes mingle and emerge slowly after a good swirl. Bone dry, with a silvery spine of acidity that is bracing and saline – highlighting the more citrus elements of the fruit. Oozing energy, it dances through the palate, slowly revealing an underlying density and weight. Poised and detailed, with lots of moving parts that emerge and blossom, including a silky texture that fills the back palate. The finish is still tight and linear, but has good length. 95pts
The Briny Wink 2024 Chardonnay
A translucent, light straw colour colour in the glass. Brightly aromatic, with a lively, youthful bouquet of nectarine, grapefruit, preserved lemon, greengage, toasted almond, chamomile, white pepper and orange blossom. Dry and minerally to taste, with a crunch of fruit and buoyed by a stony acidity that drives you through the palate. Medium-weight with a tight concentration of flavour, and artfully balanced. A note of crushed shell grows towards the finish, which is lingering and pithy. 95pts
The Florilegium 2024 Chardonnay
A deeper, lemon-green-gold colour in the glass. Decant this youngster for best results – the perfume is currently a touch shy at first, but has a zesty balance of stonefruit and citrus, with hazelnut, cardamom, nutmeg, quince, oat biscuit and lemon curd. Concentrated and luxurious, with more depth and richness than its siblings. The structure shows some oak toast and vanilla, but this a measured, background note that suits the style. Acidity is fine and polished – as a whole the wine is fine and elegant with clarity and gravitas in equal parts. Texture is plush and adds volume towards a finish that is quite seamless and lengthy. A stunning debut. 97pts
