Yvonne Lorkin: Wine Stories and sips to try

Yvonne Lorkin

November 20 sees Trinity Hill release its flagship syrah, Homage 2013 ($120), the first Homage to be released since 2010.

Known now as one of the top red wines New Zealand's ever produced, it comes out with a new look and seasoned 'Homagers' will see it as a whole different beast.

"We think 2013 was an incredibly strong vintage and we only make Homage in the best years," says chief winemaker Warren Gibson. "With Homage we also set out to make the absolute best wine we can - so the 2013 is not a Gimblett Gravels labelled wine because we've included 15 per cent hillside fruit and the blend of the two parcels works extremely well." www.trinityhill.com

What's the Story?

Stuck for gift ideas for the wine lover in your life? Wine: Stories From Hawke's Bay ($65) by Mark Sweet is a rip-roaring account of the history of one of New Zealand's oldest and most highly regarded wine regions.

The whakapapa of winemaking in Hawke's Bay is revealed through a series of engaging stories spanning its foundations in 1836 to the present day. The photography accompanying the stories merges spectacular current shots next to historic gold sourced from the archives of public and private collections.

The book is introduced by Bob Campbell MW and features an entertaining, informative explanation by Peter Cowley of Te Mata Estate about what makes Hawke's Bay such a powerhouse wine region.

The stories commence in 1851 with early missionaries and pioneers, then traverses New Zealand's fascinating social history from the 1920s through to the renaissance of the late 1970s to 1990s and on to the massive expansion into today's multi-million dollar industry. Order from www.winestorieshb.co.nz

Elephant Hill's new releases

In a few short years Elephant Hill, under the guidance of winemaker Steve Skinner, has become a colossus due to its award-winning contribution to world-class wine production. It's on the pricey side, but worth every cent.

Elephant Hill Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2013, $69

With a tiny splash of co-fermented viognier to add floral lift to the pepper, plum and concentrated berry backbone. In the mouth it's beautifully balanced and boasts dusty, graphite-like tannins. Fresh and full of life, it's a limited cellar door and wine club members- only release.

Elephant Hill Airavata Syrah 2013, $95

This Airavata (meaning 'the king-god of elephants') is impenetrably deep and inky, unfolding a peacock's tail of violets, dried herbs, seasoned leather and heady, spice-driven Christmas cake aromas. in the mouth it has incredible depth and complexity, elegant, feminine fruit concentration and smoky, nutty nuances on the finish.

Elephant Hill Hieronymus 2013, $95

Using a whopping 80 per cent new French oak barrels has produced a cage fighter of a wine. Solid, masculine, sinewy and fierce - with tightly coiled tension and massive reach on the palate. With lifted dried herb, liquorice and cocoa characters on the nose, deep smoked berryfruit flavours, it's definitely got style and weight. "You can't give too much new oak to a big wine," says Steve Skinner, "they just soak it up."