Decibel Wines are Daniel Brennan’s vision to create wines using classic practices, minimal intervention, and wines with a community based attitude. “These are ideas as old as wine itself and I believe strongly in them. However I look to the future as well. I look at a time when we use smart practices in the vineyard and the winery that not only inspire but preserve our great planet. I've had a great deal of help from many other winemakers, growers and friends in Hawkes Bay, Martinborough, and back home in the USA as well”.
While traveling through Europe and America with a band of musicians, artists and craftsmen my passion for sense memory and sense elation grew. While docked in Philadelphia I discovered New Zealand wines. I literally smelled the potential for adventure and pure discovery in the glass.
In 2007 I left Philadelphia to make wine in New Zealand. I have taken the spirit of my Great Grandfather, Miguel Rodolico and his entire lineage, with me. A barrel cooper and winemaker himself, he traveled from Sicily to America in search of inspiration. He is with me on this journey.
“As I follow maps of the roads, maps of the soils, maps of the seas, flight plans and future plans, the journey now brings me across the globe pouring my wines for people in hopes they will be open to the idea of an adventure”. DB.
Decibel Bridge Pa Triangle Malbec 2019
92 Points Bob Campbell
Savory dry earth and an expressive complexity greet the nose upon its first smell of this wine. The aromatics than evolve into violets, ripe dark cherry and medieval spice upon second approach and as the wine opens up and breathes. The palate is rich and earthy with distinctly dusty tannins. The tannins are firm but the wine remains vibrant and not too heavy resulting in a fresh finish.
Decibel Martinborough Pinot Noir 2020
92 Points Vinous
Ruby jeweled color with aromas of raspberry, spice, dark toast and forest floor. The mouthfeel is bright and perky on entry with soft, savory flavors and supple acidity. The structure is built on fine grain and chalky tannins with a lingering juicy finish.
Decibel Organic Pétillant Naturel Chardonnay 2022
Daniel's first official sparkling wine is the 2022 Pétillant Naturel aka Pet Nat. In classic Decibel style, we are pushing the boundaries a little to bring you this delightfully refreshing fizzy number from BioGrow certified organic Chardonnay.
The delicate fizz is produced through an ancient method by bottling partially-fermented wine and allowing the yeast to finish their job in the bottle which traps in the natural bubbles. The spent yeast hulls, aka "lees", remain in the bottle so the wine has a natural haze to it. With refridgeration, the lees will settle to the bottom.
Decibel Malbec Pet Nat 2022
91 Points Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
This is 100% Bridge Pa Malbec that is produced through an ancient method by bottling partially-fermented wine and allowing the yeast to finish their job in the bottle which traps in the natural bubbles. The spent yeast hulls, aka "lees", remain in the bottle so the wine has a natural haze to it. With refrigeration, the lees will settle to the bottom.
Decibel Pinot Noir Rose 2022
92 Points Bob Campbell
Peaches and hints of red fruit give the wine a lifted and rounded bouquet. The nose continues to show strawberry, nugar notes and wild flower along with other savory notes. The attack on the palate is lush with a crisp and perky mid-palate. The experience finishes dry on the back palate and mouth-watering up front with hints of creamy cherry pie
Decibel Crownthorpe Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2023
93 Points Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
The nose is rich with passion fruit, bell pepper, lime zest and nectarines. Hints of chalky notes and citrus blossom develop on the nose and persist through the palate. The front palate is plush while the mid palate becomes lively and bright with primary fruit notes and a zingy acidity that follows through to the finish with hints of stone fruit on the finish. Drink now but this will soften and develop nicely through 2024.
Decibel Bridge Pa Triangle Viognier 2021
92 Points Bob Campbell
This wine was grown on the Bridge Pa Triangle, a grape growing area roughly delineated by three roads: Ngatarawa Road, State Highway 50 and Maraekakaho Road. It is recognised as a premium wine growing area in the Hawke’s Bay region. In ancient times the area was blanketed by the pumice tephra of numerous Taupo volcanic events. Much of the Triangle area covers the historical (pre-1860s earthquake) riverbed of the nearby Ngaruroro River. As such soil types include Ngatarawa Gravels, Takapau Silty-loam (free draining red metal of mixed alluvial and volcanic origin) and shallow clay-loam soils with underlying deep free draining pumice