Ascension Winery has a new label for all releases of new vintages. The label relegates the brand name of the winery and instead concentrates its attention to the “personality” of the wine. With most wine sales being generated by the winery and its sales team rather than a supermarket shelf placement, owner and winemaker Daryl Soljan believes it’s the style of wine that people are most interested in. In this regard, he believes the label should help to tell the story of what’s in the bottle.


These new labels do exactly that, bearing names like the Bell Ringer (Merlot), the Rosarian (rosé) and the Rogue (flora) that are flamboyantly and reassuringly written across a clean white label. There’s no lack of confidence, and so there shouldn’t be! The wines stack up very well. 
Of the three I tasted, the clear favourite was the flora – first planted in New Zealand in 1996 and until recently though to be a hybrid Pinot gris. But recent DNA testings have determined that the clone is in fact a cross of gewürztraminer and Semillon. 


The Rogue 2011 Flora


This is not a blended wine. I know of nobody blending a finished wine with gewürztraminer and semillon – and who would bother! It’s hard enough getting a sale for either of these as single varietals, but this hybrid clone (flora) oozes of pear and rose petal on the nose. On the palate there is a little ginger and spice, which keeps the wine lively in the mouth. It’s medium bodied and off dry – I would drink this ahead of most local Pinot gris on the market. It also actually tastes more semillon-like than any other wine varietal. 
Next issue I’ll look at the charming Rosarian (the rosé) and The Bell Ringer (a Pinotage).

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John Ingle