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The name of our new premium red wine, Pharos, links the magnificent tower at Brick Bay with one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Built on the island of Pharos off the coast of Alexandria in Egypt, the first recorded lighthouse was constructed by Ptolemy in the 5th Century B.C., and was the only one of the ancient wonders to have a practical use as well as architectural significance.
The lighthouse was revered by architects as the tallest building in the world, and by scientists who marvelled at its mysterious reflecting mirror which could be seen for more than 50 kilometres offshore.
The Pharos lighthouse was the longest surviving of the seven wonders, and gave its name to lighthouses in many languages . . . and to our Brick Bay red wine!
We also like the coincidence of a sound association between 'Pharos' and the Maori word for red . . . 'whero'.Cuisine magazine has awarded Brick Bay Pharos 2000 4 stars in its NZ Red Tasting (See Cuisine Issue 94) in a competitive line-up of New Zealand's best red wines.
In a NZ Herald review by Tim Harris he notes:"Brick Bay Wines is best known for its Pinot Gris..the reds have been longer coming but look as though they will be every bit as good as the white wine..it shows how well the two cabernets fit together, in wine from an excellent vintage.It is soft and fruity in the style New Zealand does best, but with wood and enough tannin to give it grip, and is rich with a sweet aroma..an ideal wine of the moment."
*See STOP PRESS in NEWS page for U.S. accolade.
As Pharos 2000 is the first red wine of a commercial quantity from our vineyard, we are justly proud of this inaugural effort and know that you will enjoy this fine wine.
PHAROS 2000 in the Vineyard
A cool windy November restricted the flower set, but the season progressed into a pattern of long, dry, sunny days culminating in a rewarding harvest of intensely flavoured fruit. Our Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec all produced perfectly ripe fruit, providing the major components of our Pharos 2000.
By keeping our crop levels low in the Cabernet Sauvignon we find we can successfully ripen this variety in our sheltered vineyard, avoiding the 'green' unripe flavours too often associated with New Zealand Cabernet Sauvignon. Typically the Cabernet Franc ripened a little earlier than the Sauvignon, while the earlier ripening Malbec, which shares with Merlot the sensitivity to cool, damp conditions at flowering, produced a small quantity of luscious fruit. The Merlot grudgingly gave us a few kilos.
PHAROS 2000 in the Winery
Following fermentation, each variety was aged separately in predominantly new French barrels, utilising different types of oak which were selected to optimise the potential of each variety. After 12 months in barrel, Pharos was carefully blended to produce a wine that used the Cabernet Sauvignon to provide structural tannic backbone and depth of colour and flavour to the wine, and the Cabernet Franc a more immediate perfumed fruitiness, while the Malbec contributed its intense purple colour and a sweet roundness to the flavour profile. The resulting wine was then left to bottleage for another year to ensure a balanced and developed wine at the time of release.
Harvest date: 24 March 2000 to 12 April 2000
Bottling date: 12 July 2001
Composition: Cabernet Sauvignon 60%, Cabernet Franc 30%, Malbec 10% single vineyard fruit
Alcohol: 13.8%
TA: 5.7g/l
pH: 3.4
Quantity produced: 496 dozen
TASTING NOTES
A dark red, purple-hued wine, with an aroma of ripe berry fruits. The complex palate combines earthy, blackcurrant and plum flavours with a hint of licorice, balanced by well-integrated tannins to give a velvety lingering finish.
Aging potential: Totally approachable now, but in stable cellaring conditions should continue to evolve and develop further complexity over 5-8 years.
