Sileni Estates
by
Kathy Sullivan
Summary: Located in Hastings, New Zealand, Sileni Estates winery produces 420,000 cases of red and white wines. The name, Sileni, is from Roman mythology. Enjoy a visit to the Cellar Door to taste wines and purchase gourmet food selections.
Sileni Estates, a large winery in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand is the result of entrepreneur Graeme Avery who developed a keen interest in wine. With Grant Edmonds, winemaker and Chris Cowper, a financial director, they developed Sileni Estates with their first vintage in 1998.
Sileni was the chosen name for the winery because he is from Roman mythology in connection with Bacchus who was the Roman god of wine.
Visitors to the winery will note that the center of the facility is tall with outward wings. Linger in the lobby of the winery where several large paintings by Jane Gray are displayed. To the right is the Cellar Door (tasting room) and store. The Cellar Door is elegant with its dark wood tasting counter, shelves and low lighting. Many gourmet foods are available for purchase.
When the owners started the winery 12 years ago, their intention was to be a small producer of wine with 70,000 cases. The first vintage was 1998. Circumstances changed and they are now producing 420,000 cases including a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Close to 80 percent of New Zealand exports are Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Sileni Estates owns 120 hectares (297 acres) of vineyards in the Hawke’s Bay area. The vineyards are picturesque from the winery. They also control vineyards in the Marlborough region.
This is a state of the art facility. Efficiency is a major factor in how wines are produced at Sileni Estates. Vineyards in Marlborough make the wine in Marlborough; it is then shipped to the Hawke’s Bay facility where the wine is blended. A nearby contractor handles the bottling. They have devised a method to efficiently handle the cooling in the winery. One example is to chill the wine on the way to the tanks rather than chilling the must. An immense modern filtering machine used requires only one pass through of the wine thus saving time and energy.
The Sileni facility in Hawke’s Bay has three barrel rooms. The majority of barrels used in the winery are French oak.
White Wines
Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2010 was a light straw color. The aroma offered hints of lemon grass while there were apple and lemon nuances on the taste. The crisp finish had lemon grass notes. Reserve Parkhill Pinot Gris 2010 was barrel fermented in neutral oak. The final product was a light straw color wine with apple aromas. The smooth taste offered apple notes while the finish had fruity hints of mineral and chalk. Reserve Chardonnay The Lodge 2009, the most popular wine was a light yellow. This wine was hand harvested and barrel fermented in French oak. It sat on lees for eight to nine months. There were pear and citrus notes on the aroma. The wine was smooth and the finish was crisp with citrus.
Red Wines
Pinot Noir 2010 was a light red with strawberry notes on the aroma. The taste had red berry fruit nuances. The crisp wine finished with mineral notes. Syrah 2008 was a dark red. The aroma and taste offered dark fruit and black pepper notes. The crisp fruit yielded to black pepper. The Triangle Merlot (Reserve) 2009 was a ruby color. The aroma and taste offered dark fruit nuances. There were also hints of minerality on the taste. The finish had mild tannins with fruit yielding to mineral. EV Pinot Noir 2005 offered cherry and earthy hints on the aroma and taste. There were tannins and crisp fruit yielding to earthy nuances on the finish.
Orton Catering@Sileni Estates
Sileni Estates has Orton Catering to work with those who choose to have a business event or meeting at the winery. Events can take place in the Estate Marquee. This structure has leather chairs, a suspending ceiling and silk lining. This event area will hold up to 200 people. Sileni Estates has an underground cellar for special functions. This area can hold up to 80 guests. The Boardroom is also available. An interactive whiteboard is included in the use of the room.
When visiting Sileni Estates located in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand be sure to browse the available gourmet products in the Cellar Door.
Sileni Estates
2016 Maraekakaho Road
Hastings, Hawke’s Bay
New Zealand
