2023 Čuvar Iris Syrah, Hawkes Bay
$30.00
In Appearance: Garnet red
On the Nose: Bouquet of Blackberry with hints of Cedar
On the Palate: This wine leads to the palate rich in red berry fruits and hints of bracken and wild thyme. Firm, ripe tannins create a backbone enveloped in juicy sun kissed fruit that lengthens on the palate to leave you with a lip smacking finish and wanting more.
Čuvar
The Fistonich family wine story began in New Zealand in 1949, when Croatian immigrants Andrija and Mandica Fistonich were granted their first licence to sell wine, made to share with family, friends and their local community.
Their son George grew up among the vines and, at twenty-one, established Villa Maria in 1961. Over the decades that followed he helped shape the modern New Zealand wine industry, championing quality, investing in Hawke’s Bay and leading the move to screwcaps. He was knighted for services to the industry in 2009.
After the family sold Villa Maria in 2021, Sir George began again. At eighty-four he founded Čuvar Winery as the family’s next chapter, for the love of great wine.
Čuvar (pronounced chu-var) means “guardian” in Croatian, honouring the pioneers who built New Zealand’s wine industry and the family’s responsibility to leave a stronger legacy for future generations.
Today Čuvar is led by Karen Fistonich, Sir George’s daughter, who has worked in the family wine business for almost three decades. From three estate-owned Hawke’s Bay vineyards, Čuvar crafts contemporary classic New Zealand wines across the Iris and Guardians Collections.
