Midas received his golden touch from Dionysus, the mythological god of wine.We have grown Malbec for some years but it has generally been blended into "Kronos". For 2007 we didn't make a "Kronos" so the small vintage was bottled separatetly with the tiny output of only 11 cases.
Fruit from our home block was fermented in open tanks with frequent hand plunging then matured for 12 months in French oak. This pure Malbec has a vibrant aroma of violets and spices with rich, succulent flavours of black doris plums and dark berries balanced by a backbone of fine tannins.
This sumptuous wine, is red with distinctive violet-like florals and rich berry fruit. Sue Courtney
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Our premium blend of CabernetMerlot/Malbec is now available. With our usual ratio of 60/30/10% this wine exhibits ripe berry and savoury aromas with rich flavous of blackcurrents and red berries integrated with fine tannins and an earthy complexity.“Deep red-black in colour with a ripe fruit aroma that hints of jelly baby and cherry - later the aroma becomes quite smoky and savoury with deli meat scents and creamy vanillin oak. Just on the medium side of full-bodied in its palate weight, it’s silky textured with a savoury cedary ‘Bordeaux’ character, jelly baby sweetness, hints of liquorice, cinnamon, clove and allspice. Ripe, tending toward luscious on the finish with a dry cedary aftertaste, it is smoky, long and vinously satisfying with excellent length.” Sue Courtney 17/20
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Take a look at this terrific photo taken back in December ’05 while distilling our second batch of grappa.From the left: – the owner of the copper still, Wolfgang, John Crone and Ras Sutherland (Castle Matakana). Recently we had a sampling of three different versions of our latest grappa in company with a couple of Germans and a South African who were knowledgeable about the making and tasting of it, along with the Castle duo. The result gave the edge to the brew John was hoping to make the blend from.With the cute squat bottles, perfect for X’mas gifts.
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( 3 / 733 )Except from our very first newsletter of Autumn 1998.
Some of you may be wondering how we came upon the name Hyperion. Whilst delving around in the Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology we noted Kronos amongst the early Greek gods; in fact he was a god of Agriculture and at one time reigned over the ‘Golden Age’ when everything was perfect and plants grew out of the ground spontaneously. This scenario definitely appealed to us! Kronos was also a corruption of our own surname so it seemed quite appropriate. However we discovered he had a nasty side to him and opted instead for his brother Hyperion, one of twelve first people to exist following the union between Gaia (the Earth, from whom all produce flows) and Uranus (the Heavens). The god Hyperion has a powerful ‘sun and light’ image and is the subject of an unfinished work by Keats, purportedly his best. Here is an excerpt -
“ Blazing Hyperion on his orbed fire still sat, … teeming up from man to the Sun’s God. ….His palace bright bastion’d with pyramids of glowing gold. … His flowing robes stream’d out beyond his heels, And gave a roar as if of earthly fire. On he flared, Through bowers of fragrant and enwreathed light. And diamond-paved lustrous long arcades.”
The connection with the vineyard is one of light and beauty, as light can create magical effects at different times of day. This line of thinking is continued with Hyperion’s offspring as they are Helios the Sun, Selene the Moon and Eos the Dawn, each having a beneficial effect on the vines (the warmth of the sun, the coolness of the night and the moisture at dawn) as well as a beauteous one involving radiance. We have thoughts of using these names as sub names on our wine labels sometime in the future. ‘Kronos’ could also be used for a reserve label if we ever have this distinction.
“ Beauty in things exist in the mind which contemplate them. ” David Hume (1711-1776)
So there you have it - what’s in a name? It’s obviously highly important if one wants to succeed. Hyperion has a strong, ‘stand alone’ ring to it and sounds vaguely like a combination of “high” and “superior”, a description which might well encompass the sloping nature of our vineyards. Just out of interest, ‘Hyperion’ does not appear in any telephone book throughout New Zealand. Overseas its only exclusive use is by a computer company in the USA and a classical record company in UK.
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( 3 / 707 )This cottage is on a property we purchased adjacent to our home vineyard, located on Whitmore Road on the hill above us. We subsequently renovated it last Summer to the highest standard for short term accommodation. (Part of the reason this newsletter is so late.) It has three Queen bedrooms with ensuite for max 6 guests, full kitchen, dining and lounge area, separate area for laptop use, laundry and two extensive decks - one suitable for al fresco breakfast and the other with magnificent views to the western sunset, looking back down over our vineyard. Open fireplace, heatpump, TV/DVD/Music, clock radios in bedrooms, underfloor heating in bathrooms and computer connection. Fine linen provided. Enquiries and reservations at Hyperion Winery, Tongue Farm Rd Matakana or Phone: (09) 422 9375
Email: info@hyperionheights.co.nz Website: www.hyperionheights.co.nz Check out latter to view photos, tariff and additional information. A DLE card is available from Matakana Information Centre.
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