FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday 29th August 2011
Magpie Takes Off with Gold Medals and a Trophy!
You know what they say – never leave anything shiny around when there are magpies about, because they’ll swoop in and
pinch it faster than you can say “Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle”, and the announcement over the weekend that
Squawking Magpie wines collected two shiny new Gold medals and a coveted Trophy has really given owner Gavin Yortt
something to crow about.
“Winning Gold medals for our 2009 Stoned Crow Syrah and The Nest Merlot 2008 at the Romeo Bragato Wine Awards was
brilliant news for us” he said over the phone from the annual two-day conference “then to hear that The Nest also won
the Merlot Trophy was just sensational!”
Being able to add some extra heavy metal to the trophy cabinet caps off a huge month for Hawke’s Bay’s most awarded
boutique wine company as ‘The Nest’ also scooped a gold medal at the New Zealand International Wine Show judged a week
earlier. Formed in 2005, the New Zealand International Wine Show is now firmly established as the nation’s largest
annual wine competition. Truly 'International' in nature, wines from any country and made from any variety can be
entered. A panel of 24 judges, led by Bob Campbell MW, reviewed 2,080 wines over three intense days of judging where
only ten percent of entries achieved gold medal status.
So it’s no surprise that Yortt is chuffed, in fact he’s hardly had time to stop flapping his wings after hearing his
other Merlot-dominant wine; The Chatterer Merlot Malbec 2009 has also just been ranked in the Top 12 in the latest issue
of Cuisine magazine. “This wine offers threads of boysenberries and raspberries with hints of toffee and spice,
attractive smoothness, good persistence and soft tannins”, were the comments from the judges in their annual Merlot
tasting. Just one month earlier, Cuisine magazine had also lavished praise on Squawking Magpie’s Stoned Crow Syrah 2009
and The Chatterer Syrah 2009, ranking them in their Top 12 Syrah’s in the country.
The Stoned Crow Syrah was also selected as one of twelve wines making up the Gimblett Gravels Annual Vintage Selection,
wines which represent the epitome of quality from New Zealand’s most famous sub-region, the potential of which Gavin saw
decades ago when he became the first to plant grapes in the rocky, riverbed soils.
The Trophy winners for the NZ International Wine Show will be announced at the Awards Dinner on Saturday 3rd September
at Auckland’s Crowne Plaza Hotel. Is Yortt quietly hopeful of another Trophy? “The Nest 2008 is a truly outstanding
wine, and whatever happens I’m proud of it. I’m proud of all my wines”.
ENDS