2022 Junction Side Line

JUNCTION Side Line was a complete surprise. Under the misapprehension that it was Sauvignon Blanc, it had been well-refrigerated prior to opening and we were very surprised when pouring to observe that it was a golden straw-coloured wine and quite viscous in appearance in the glass. A spicy nose of sweetly stewed rhubarb, with a rather attractive herbaciousness of crushed rosehips leapt out of the glass and the palate was treated to a delicious sweet 'n' sour boost to the tropical fruitiness of this delicious white wine! A couple of expletives later, Mr Google revealed that the wine variety was described as "FLORA - a hybrid of Gewurztraminer and Semillon". Further investigation reveals that Dr Harold Olmo registered this variety in California in 1938. How it found its way to the Takapau Plains was not described, but perhaps some of us recall a somewhat mystical conversation with John Ashworth about different experimental varieties being planted at Junction to monitor how well they would adapt to the terroir of this elevated region of Hawkes Bay? "Yep, I sure do."