Luc Desbonnets planted vineyards on Waiheke Island in 2006, and by 2010, the first vintage of his Frenchmans Hill Estate wines were out in the market. Kiwi born, with French heritage, he had spent time in Burgundy and Bordeaux, before running large-scale wine operations in Hungary and Moldova. These days Luc has since stepped away from making wine and he’s sold the vineyard, but still has an epic back catalogue that he will be releasing over time. He also remains a familiar face on Waiheke, often donating bottles to support local causes.
Luc has always stayed true to the techniques he learned in the legendary grand cru regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy. His philosophy? With the right land and a no-compromise approach to quality, New Zealand wines can absolutely hold their own on the world stage. For each wine, we have a wine from the 2015 vintage – on Waiheke Island this year is widely considered one of the greatest and acclaimed. Tonight is mostly a showcase of Syrah from his label, with a quick look at his only white wine – Advenus – as an entrée.
That first wine is a unique expression of Sauvignon Blanc. I ask those around the table who’ve not tried it before to guess the varietal, but it is a hard ask to pick it blind. It does have ‘a splash of’ Viognier in it as well – some skins go directly into the fermenting juice, and a couple of people picked up on that. There was a guess of ‘Bordeaux Blanc’ but only one person went for Sauvignon Blanc. Luc describes the objective of this wine as “a weighty wine with delicate aromas and developing bouquet over time.
Each vintage Luc altered the technique slightly to cater for individual vintage conditions and also experimented slightly on style. The fruit criteria was “always immaculate OR left on the vine for no harvest”. It is a very risky variety for Waiheke as the varietal has delicate skins leaving them vulnerable to the often humid climate. The low-yielding vines means you’re getting around 1 bottle per vine.
Partially barrel fermented and aged for 5 years before release – the Advenus is drinking very well for a Waiheke white wine with a bit of age. It has something to it that hints at Grand Cru aromatics from Alsace. It is structured for cellar aging, and we have two vintages to try this evening.
FHE Advenus 2015
A bright golden green colour in the glass – with medium depth. Aromatic and yet not blowsy, with a ‘fine wine’ nose that doesn’t give away the varietal too easily. Crisp acidity pricks the tongue, with a succulence of fruit that takes away the vinous edge, leading you though a summer meadow of warm grass, hay, white florals and stone fruits. Some citrus too – on the orange spectrum, and maybe just some green herbal notes too. Unctuous, smooth and textural. The consensus around the table is that this is the one – the age showing its potential. 94pts
FHE Advenus 2019
Same colour in glass, despite four years more youth. A more orange-led aroma here? Dried orange peel, apricot and fresh-picked navel oranges. That sweet grass note appears again – a signature, plus pear, apricot, pineapple and creme brûlée. I get more fruit sweetness in this vintage. A touch of alcohol heat, the 9g/l of residual sugar fills out the mid-palate, where there’s weight, spice and richness. Lovely in its youth like this – much crispier and perky. 92pts
The venue for tonight is the excellent ‘The Strand’ wine bar in Takapuna. I find it hilarious that some city dwellers regard crossing the harbour as if travelling to Ethiopia – yet I go into town about three times a week from my base on the Shore without a care. This place is quietly efficient, classy and great value for money. The food tonight is french inspired. We start with an ‘amuse bouche’ of beef tartare and jerusalem artichoke on crispy crackers, then Burnt leek with curd, hazelnut and dijon vinaigrette.
We taste through two Syrahs “done the Frenchman’s Hill way” from different locations on Waiheke. Expatrius Syrah and Herculean Syrah and then finish on one one from his home vineyard – Rock Earth Syrah. So, three seperate vineyard expressions. Expatrius comes from Eastern Waiheke on Southern coastal peninsula at 60m elevation, planted with 3200 vines at 1m x 1m planting density. Herculean is from Western Waiheke – coastal slopes at 60m elevation with 3800 vines at 1m x 1m spacing. Rock Earth is Central Waiheke, using steep coastal slopes above the Putiki Estuary. 5800 vines, also planted at 1m x 1m spacing.
Luc loves Côte Rotie as his inspiration for great Syrah – and these bottles are fresh and vibrant. They have generous tannin and the fine wood frames the plush fruit well.
Luc has always refused to compromise on his processes – using top-end barrels from Sylvain that are a core of good Bordeaux producers. Similarly, he uses selected high-grade tested corks for his closures. His method for the Syrahs begins in the vineyard, with 100% organic viticulture (uncertified) most years. A ‘Triple triage’ system sees assessments at three points – grape thinning in field, then Harvest, then a vibrating table.
In the winery, the fruit is de-stemmed and has a light crush, then a hand and foot plunge. Cold soak for four to six days. Starting with an indigenous ferment, then seeded with culture D254 yeast The total Vat time is around 45- 60 days, They’re all in 50/50 new and used French and American oak barriques for 16 months.
Luc is aiming for “rich, weighty wines with retained elegance and ability to evolve favourably under good cellar conditions for decades. To optimally express the sites with absolute minimal intervention in winemaking”.
The chef provides the following food that intersperse with the wines as we progress.
Course 2: Bluenose fish with a white bean cassoulet and parsley salad
Course 3: Beef cheek bourguignon and shallots
Course 4: Chocolate mousse with spiced poached pear
It’s a fantastic spread of feast-like proportions, and you have to say that it makes the wines shine. So, what did I think of the reds?
FHE Expatrius Syrah 2015
A bright ruby garnet red. Quite a varietal perfume, with ripe fruit, starting with plum, raspberry, red liquorice, and then blue fruits too – blueberry and damsons. Very floral, with violet and hibiscus. Exotic – and slightly Pinot-like in style. There’s a prickly acid drive – fresh and appealing. A light grip of tannin but delicate overall. Mealy texture. A dry, lingering finish. 95pts
FHE Expatrius Syrah 2014
Some rusting to the ruby colour, suggesting age. On first opening, I get a smoky, sweaty reductiveness, but this blows off rapidly. A broader palate, with a crunch to the fruit, and a touch of green herbals – nettle, chamomile, capsicum. A minerality though the middle – quite chalky plus dusty tannins give this a distinctive edge. Richness and also savouriness – tapenade, tar and nori, into a peppery finish. 93pts
FHE Herculean Syrah 2015
Translucent, shining ruby colour in the glass – very inviting. The bouquet shows generous aromas of crisp red fruits, with some black cherry, cassis and tamarillo in there too. Smooth, velvety, complex and layered with far eastern spices, dark chocolate, and liquorice. Seamless ‘stony’ structure with no edges or pieces out of place – just lots of flowing, developing nuances. 96pts
FHE Herculean Syrah 2014
Medium density ruby red, lightly opaque. Savoury and sweet bouquet – beef stock, salami, iron earth, blackberry, doris plum and redcurrant. Quite silky smooth – integrated tannin and juicy but subtle acidity. More balance and harmony than the perfume might suggest. Mouth-watering finish – youthful energy and a long finish. 94pts
FHE Rock Earth Syrah 2015
Wow. A deep burgundy red colour. Effusive aromas – bold, bloody. Boysenberry, plum, cherry pie, smoky meat, warm earth, then floral notes of violets and lilac. Quite vinous, with secondary characters of old leather and cigar box. Smooth, medium-weighted – lighter than nose suggests. A carress of tannin and a breezy acidity. White pepper and toasted souk spices on finish. Tastes of Waiheke. On this showing, I’m saying it’s one of New Zealand’s great Syrahs. 97pts
FHE Rock Earth Syrah 2014
Colour similar to 2015 but the nose even bolder and brooding. Firm, serious, lightly reductive nose of dark, sour cherry, blueberry muffin, brazil nut, peat, and even a little European ‘barnyard’ edge to it. Tight, dry and a bit angular. This seems incredibly youthful when un-corked…like it still needs some time to adjust – the door only slightly ajar, so it was decanted. This was a huge benefit, as a couple of hours later it was very well-balanced, the muscular profile showing off the fresh acidity and fine grain tannins. 95pts
