The 2005 Declaration Syrah has a more extroverted nose of red cherries, white pepper, a touch of truffle and cooked meats all with great definition. The palate is medium-bodied, very finely tuned with great balance with notes of red currants, cooked meats, gibier, white pepper and game. Very complex yet very subtle with fine definition on the finish, this is excellent Syrah that should drink well between 3-8 years.
One of the stalwarts of Hawkes Bay, C.J. Pask Winery was set up by Chris Pask in the early 1980s, joined by Roseworthy-trained winemaker Kate Radburnd in 1991 from Vidal Wines, concentrating on Bordeaux-style blends from 100 hectares of vines that they own or manage on the Gimblett Gravels. I tasted verticals of their wines back to the late-90s but here I will concentrate more on their recent releases, including their “Declaration” range produced in exceptional vintages from selected vines.
Importer: Indigo Wine Group, LLC, S. Venice, FL; tel. (941) 483-1816; Fax (941) 483-1916