Black Estate Riesling and The Bats Daddy's Highway
When thinking about wine and music from New Zealand, Sauvignon Blanc definitely comes to mind, as does Lorde and Flight of the Conchords. But a signature style of jangly, oddly upbeat while also droning indie rock, and Riesling? That can’t be right. Or is it?
It is. These two unsuspecting products of New Zealand are truly hidden gems. The Bats are total sleepers—outside of New Zealand, at least—that came out of the late 80s New Zealand indie rock/punk scene. Who knew? Along with their mates and contemporaries The Clean, The Bats were members of the Flying Nun label, proudly known for their Dunedin sound collective.
The Bats. Source: The Brag
Dunedin sound refers to the niche group of musicians and musical style from the small New Zealand town, Dunedin. Influences like 60s rock and 70s punk bands are present, but overall, the Dunedin scene has its own distinct thing going on. The Bats started out as a group of college friends who started playing together in 1982 and haven’t stopped since.
Pen Naish and Nicholas Brown, owners of Black Estate Wines, also have ties to Dunedin, where they started dating as university students. Now married with two kids, Nicholas and Pen overlook the winemaking and operations at Black Estate. It’s a family affair, and that includes a tight-knit community of farmers, vendors, and peers whom they collaborate with and learn from.
Pen and Nicholas. Source: Black Estate
The Black Estate folks have the utmost respect for their land, vineyards, and wildlife. Their wines are made with organic and biodynamic practices. As they say on their website, “We want to celebrate the microbial life and ecosystems that are naturally occurring by encouraging the natural flora and fauna to flourish.”
The Bats and Black Estate are connected by their shared values, including bonds between family and friends, and a stripped down sensibility. They’re both as independent and real as it gets, producing what’s true to them. The “Daddy’s Highway” debut album and 2017 Damsteep Riesling are two pure examples of The Bats and Black Estate, respectively.
The Damsteep Riesling can stand up to the greats from Mosel or Rhiengau in Germany. With about four years of age on it, dynamic secondary and tertiary notes of petrol and woodsy pine come through in a strange and delightful way. Those tangle with fleshy yellow fruit, jasmine, gravel, and honey aromas.
The palate is luscious with a leesy richness from the sur lie and partial neutral barrel aging. Eye-opening, mouthwatering acidity asserts itself. Citrus and stone fruit also join the party.
“Daddy’s Highway” begins with “Treason,” a song that welcomes you into The Bats’ world with the sweet, harmonizing vocals of Robert Scott and Kaye Woodwardand, and a bouncy Brit-pop musical tone.
The album has a romantic feel with a coming of age, self-discovery theme, blending hopeful and sometimes forlorn emotions. “North by North” is a stand-out track. It’s transfixing with a hypnotic, haunting sound that’s perfect for fall. It’s like the wine in that you hang on every note and just get lost in it. Together, they put you in a bit of a trance.
“Daddy’s Highway” switches from melodic, contemplative moments to full-on jangle pop. It keeps you interested all the way through, like the complexity of the wine that continuously reveals itself.
The album has some vulnerable sentiments, like the wine that invites you to see its truest colors. On “Some Peace Tonight,” The Bats sing, “But just you wait/ There'll be morning sky/ Bringing you some peace tonight/ There will be another change/ Bringing you some peace tonight.”
You can hear and taste the love in each of these New Zealand specialties. They are not without their quirks, and that’s a big part of the charm.
