©2006, The Birmingham Post
It's not every day that you get the chance to meet a winemaking hero. So when I was telephoned late one Monday afternoon by his UK agents, Louis Latour, to meet up at the "Town House" restaurant in Solihull, I jumped at the chance. The man was David Hohnen, and before you say "David Who?", he happens to be the founder of two Antipodean cult wineries. The first is Cape Mentelle from Western Australia and the second is the legendary Cloudy Bay, whose Sauvignon Blanc put New Zealand winemaking on the map. David Hohnen commenced his wine education in the 1960s, when he studied oenology and viticulture at the Fresno State University, in California. After graduation, he returned to Western Australia, where he, along with 4 other pioneers set about realising the winemaking potential of the Margaret River in Western Australia, and in 1970, co-founded the Cape Mentelle winery. Whilst the vines established themselves, David managed the vineyards at Taltarni in Victoria, returning to produce the first commercial release for Cape Mentelle in 1976. Today, the estate has expanded to around 180 hectares under vine, and the winery crushes fruit from both its own vineyards and that of contract growers. It was not until 1983 that David tasted his first New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, and he was immediately smitten. The following year, he visited the country, attended a wine show and identified the region of Marlborough as the ideal location. In 1985, he returned with some financial backers, to buy some land. The terms of the bank-loan were a staggering 23.5% per annum, and the bank later went bust! The winery did not, and the first release of Cloudy Bay was made without a winery, but by transporting some 40 tonnes of grapes 400 miles north to Gisborne, with Kevin Judd, their winemaker, giving instructions to the winery over the 'phone. The second release in 1986 found its way to the UK and was so rapturously received by the wine media that a legend was born. As a winemaker, Hohnen is uncompromising. He believes in machine harvesting, so that the grapes can be gathered in quickly and at optimum ripeness. He also sources his oak barrels directly from France, as he considers them to be of the best quality. In the late '80s, Veuve Clicquot (now part of LVMH, the Champagne and luxury goods conglomerate), bought out the controlling interest of both Cape Mentelle and Cloudy Bay, but Hohnen still remained at the helm, until 2003, when he decided to return to his roots in Margaret River, to tend sheep. Winemaking, though, was still in his blood and with his daughter, Freya and brother-in-law, Murray McHenry, a new enterprise named McHenry Hohnen was established. David explained that he didn't want to set up a new wine company unless he could engage the next generation. At his age, near to retirement, he needed a younger family member, in this case, his daughter, to take up the reins and oversee the winemaking. The core of the McHenry Hohnen range is sourced from four family-owned vineyards, but fruit is also brought in from local contract growers. Surprisingly, rather than stick to the formula of six popular varietals, Hohnen has opted for an eclectic mix of up to 18. emphasising his belief that Margaret River is also an ideal location for Mediterranean blends. The principal trademark is a low interventionist approach, to produce wines expressive of their varietal character, and the individuality of the region and specific sites. Hohnen sees a limited future in producing wines to win gold medals or gain high scores, and is saddened by the "Parker Effect" which has resulted in the creation of monster wines with the sole purpose of pleasing critics. Over dinner, I tasted the Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon 2004, a dead-ringer for the Cape Mentelle version, but a few pounds cheaper (The Wine Society/Tanners £7.25-£8.95). It's finely honed with fresh lemon citrus, elderflower and gooseberry fruit, and works equally well as an aperitif or food accompaniment. The 2004 Shiraz (£9.99 Bablake Wines) has lovely concentration and a creamy richness, to accompany the spicy hedgerow fruit flavours. A touch of freshness gives just the right balance to the weight of the wine, and complemented our lamb cutlet superbly. Weighing in at a whopping 150 abv, the Three Amigos 2004 white (£9.95 House of Fraser) is a Rhone-style white blend of Marsanne, Chardonnay and Roussanne. A successful marriage of ripe apricot, peach and melon flavours, the strength of alcohol was imperceptible with our crab-and-mango starter. Continuing the theme, the Three Amigos Red 2004 (£9.95 House of Fraser) is a "Rhone Ranger" blend of Shiraz, Grenache and Mataro (better known as Mourvedre). It's heady and full-bodied, with spicy black fruit, but personally I found it too soft and flabby. I have subsequently sampled a bottle of "Tiger Country" an intriguing blend of Tempranillo, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2004 (Wine Society £11.50) is the first release of this full-bodied red, and I was well impressed by the vibrant black cherry and raspberry fruit, judiciously seasoned with oak to give a backnote of vanilla and toast, and produce a rich, silky texture. For more background details visit www.mchv.com.au, or contact Louis Latour (0207.409.7276. The local agents are Bablake Wines in Coventry, 02476.228272.